Mighty Morphin': Raising the Stakes
by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Summary: After Lord Zedd arrives on the moon to complete the task that Rita has failed to do, the Rangers must take on new Thunderzords in order to battle him. Unfortunately with three Rangers leaving, a new power source is needed in order to keep the team from collapsing.
1. One Month Later, Part I

**Author's Note:** Welcome to the sequel of '**A Dire Situation**'. The sequel takes place in season two of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and is set two months after the end of last series. I hope you enjoy it.

**Rating:** T for safety.

**Warning:** Before continuing, you might wanna have a read of '**A Dire Situation**' before you go any further or else some references and storylines may confuse you. Thanks.

_I don't own Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. But I do own any original characters that are of my own creation._

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><p><strong>Title:<strong> Raising the Stakes

**Summary: **After Lord Zedd arrives on the moon to complete the task that Rita has failed to do, the Rangers must take on new Thunderzords in order to battle him. Unfortunately with three Rangers leaving, a new power source is needed in order to keep the team from collapsing.

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><p>"<em>Welcome, citizens of Angel Grove to the Fifth Annual Children's Hospital Charity Motor Marathon.<em>" The announcer called out over the race track. Every inch was covered in contestants and spectators, along with judges and coaches. Students of Angel Grove High hunched over their four wheelers and consulted maps along with their partners as a referee made sure that they had everything in hand.

Nuala Archer stood behind her brother and partner, Ciaran, tying his red and black bandana securely. "There, you're all set," she announced, patting his head.

"Thanks," Ciaran said, jumping down from his four wheeler and racing across the track to where Zack and Trini were standing. Trini was tying Zack's bandana securely for him.

"Nice touch, lil' bro," Zack said, high-fiving Ciaran. Since his and Nuala's arrival in Angel Grove, Zack had somewhat taken Ciaran under his wing and treated him like a little brother, as he knew what it was like to be the youngest sibling in the house.

"Thanks," Ciaran said, laughing as Trini tightened Zack's bandana too much causing the black Ranger to wince.

"Oh, sorry, Zack," Trini apologized, chuckling lightly.

"Ah, it's alright," Zack said, waving her off. "I'm glad you find it funny, dude," he added to Ciaran, who merely grinned.

Nuala, meanwhile, had walked away from the four-wheeler that she and Ciaran would be sharing - she didn't trust him on his own four-wheeler, and it clearly stated in the rules that you had to be at least sixteen to ride alone; Ciaran was only fourteen (and a half).

"Hey, how's it going?" Nuala asked Billy as she wandered over towards him and Kim.

"It's coming along nicely," Billy said. "I may have found the first clue."

"Ooh. Really?" Kim asked, peering at the map. "All I see is a bunch of squiggly lines."

"I can't read maps either," Nuala admitted. "It's another part of Maths that I despise."

"But you're a figure skater," Kim pointed out. "Don't they use Maths for that?"

Nuala looked sheepish. "It's mostly physics than Maths," she answered. "I can understand the quad axels, angles and jumps of figure skating, but I don't understand the numbers and formulas of Maths."

"You're weird," Kim said, playfully.

"I know," Nuala replied. "That's why I fit in with you."

Kim gasped and lightly shoved Nuala away as Mr. Caplan and a referee walked over.

"Well, thanks a lot for taking care of all of this," Caplan said.

"Are you kidding?" Trini asked. "This is great - having a good time for a good cause."

"Man, you said it," Zack agreed. "I can't wait to hit those mountain trails."

"Better be prepared to hit the dirt," Bulk said as he and Skull arrived. They were both decked out in gear that consisted mostly of leather and chains, and a Mohawk designed helmet for Bulk. "Cause that's all you're going to hit."

"Yeah. You'll be eating our dust all the way across the finish line," Skull laughed.

"You'll have to find it first," Nuala muttered from behind Billy.

The Rangers and Ciaran laughed, whilst Bulk and Skull frowned at Nuala. The silver Ranger bit her lip and looked back at the map, avoiding both Bulk and Skull's gazes as they passed her, heading for their four-wheelers.

"Besides, this is not about winning," Kim said

Ignoring the friends, Bulk shoved Skull from his bike and knocked him back onto his own. Skull frowned at his best mate, shook his head and revved the engine of his quad.

"You can't blame them," Tommy said. "They certainly don't lack for confidence."

"That's for sure," Jason agreed. He glanced around at the rest of his friends and waved them in. "Guys, we've got work to do."

"Great. Let's take a look at our maps," Billy said, looking up from his and Kim's. He led Nuala around Kim's quad, whilst the pink Ranger dismounted and skipped alongside them towards Jason and Tommy. Ciaran, Zack and Trini followed.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Meanwhile, up on the moon, Rita and her band of misfit monsters were watching the Rangers prepare for their meet. Rita laughed as she turned her back on her telescope and faced her minions. "They're right there for us, my Prince," she said, pointing at the Earth behind her.

"Yes, my Queen," Chris said, bowing his head. Since his arrival at the moon base, Rita had transformed him not only into the gold Power Ranger but also her prince of Darkness. He, just like Goldar, had the power to be second in command, but Goldar retained more of the title since he had been with Rita for more than 10,000 years.

"This is perfect," Goldar boomed, glaring at Chris. It didn't take a genius to realise that there was tension within the ranks. For Goldar it was more to do with the fact that a pesky human, just like the infernal Power Rangers, was trying to muscle in on a position that had been his for many, many years.

"We'll get them finally," Scorpina added. In the beginning she had shared the same sentiment for Chris as Goldar, but now, after making a brutal enemy out of the silver Ranger, she and Chris seemed to be on the same page. Both wanted Nuala out of the picture, and both were willing to put aside their differences to make ends meet.

Suddenly, and without warning, the ground beneath their feet started to shake violently. Chris quickly caught Rita as she stumbled and braced her against his broad frame to keep her from falling over.

"What's going?!" Rita shrieked.

"This could only mean one thing," Goldar grinned. "Lord Zedd, the true Emperor has returned."

"Oh, my gosh," Rita murmured, her eyes wide and terror reflected within them.

"Lord who -?" Chris asked, confused.

The sky flashed and lightning clashed, lighting up the dark space beyond the Earth's atmosphere.

"Where is he?!" Rita shouted, backing away. "Where is he?!"

"I am Lord Zedd, Emperor of all I see," said an holographic image in the sky above the palace. "You have failed to complete the mission assigned to you. I will now resume command, prepare the palace for my return."

Chris pulled Rita aside as a stream of red light entered the throne room, shot past him and into another room off the hall. He'd never been inside that room, therefore had no idea what was behind the closed door.

"Lord Zedd has returned," Goldar said, raising first. His sword was elevated in front of him and he looked more than excited.

"Oh, he's going to ruin everything," Rita grumbled.

"But where _is_ Lord Zedd?" Baboo asked.

"Where he belongs, his chamber of command," Goldar answered.

"Ohhh! I've got such a headache," Rita complained.

"Deal with it," Goldar snapped. "I'm going to meet my Emperor."

"Groveling teacher's pet," Chris sneered.

"I'll be happy to see the back of you, kid," Goldar said as he passed. "Lord Zedd never works with humans."

Rita put her hand on her Prince's shoulder as he made a lunge for Goldar, the giant golden monkey laughed and disappeared behind the door that the jet of red light had gone through only minutes before. "Calm yourself, my Prince," she said, leading him after Goldar. "We shall see who has the last laugh."

"Come on, Baboo," Squatt said, running after Rita. "We should check this guy out too."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

"_Now, remember the only way to reach your final destination is by solving the clues on the map you've all been given,_" Caplan called over his megaphone as the riders prepared themselves for the start of the race. "_So, good luck and drive safely._"

The crowd cheered. Ciaran waved to his mother and nephew as they watched from the sidelines, and mounted the quad behind his sister. "Are you sure I can't drive?" he asked, taking his helmet and fitting it over his head.

"Positive," Nuala replied.

"But why not?"

"Because the last time you drove one of these things, you nearly drove us into a ravine," Nuala replied.

"_Nearly_," Ciaran pointed out.

Nuala rolled her eyes and fitted her own helmet on over her head. "Nearly is one time too many," she said, adjusting her goggles. "Ready?"

"What if I said no?" Ciaran asked.

"Then you can stay here," Nuala said.

Ciaran pouted and adjusted his goggles. "Meanie," he said.

"Love you too," Nuala said, smiling. She revved her engine and glanced to the side at Kim. The pink Ranger nodded and Nuala nodded back, and indication to show that they were both ready.

"_Ready, set and GO!_" Caplan shouted, waving the flags and signaling the beginning of the race. The air was filled with the sound of roars as the four-wheelers took off down the dirt track, leaving their screaming and cheering spectators behind. Lana held up Ellis' hand and waved his mother and uncle off; she then kissed his head and turned to Ms. Appleby and Ernie beside her.

Less than a mile away from the track, Nuala felt Ciaran's arms tighten around her waist and glanced up briefly as the sky flashed a bright white colour. "What the heck was that?" she asked herself.

"I hope it's not a thunderstorm," Ciaran said.

"Jason," Nuala called to her left. The red Ranger was also looking up to the skies; clearly he had heard and seen the same things she had.

Jason turned to the sound of his name, nodded and motioned to the side of the track. He glanced over his shoulder and motioned for the others to follow his lead. "Hey, guys, pull off," he called over the roar of the engines.

Nuala rolled to a halt and shut down her engine. She and Ciaran were removing their helmets when the others arrived around them. The sky rumbled and clashed again.

"Someone tell me that's not thunder," Ciaran said, looking around at the Rangers.

"I don't think so," Billy said. "The weather is supposed to be fine for the next two months."

"If it's not thunder then what is it?" Nuala asked.

Billy shook his head. "I don't know," he replied.

"We should probably keep an eye on our communicators in case Zordon tries to get in touch," Zack said.

"I agree," Jason said, looking up at the skies. "Something doesn't feel right."

"Let's be sure to stick together," Tommy added, looking around at the others.

They nodded and exchanged looks.

Nuala patted Ciaran's hands and glanced over her shoulder at her brother. "Do you want me to take you back to mum?" she asked.

"No, I wanna stay," Ciaran said. "As long as it's not thunder, I don't care."

"What if it's a lot worse?" Trini asked.

Ciaran shrugged. "I'm not afraid," he said, bravely.

Nuala rolled her eyes and shook her head. "And everyone says _I'm_ the weird one," she said.

The others chuckled whilst Billy checked his map. "According to my calculations the next clue should be behind those formations of rocks over there," he said, pointing a cluster of rocks not that far away.

"Let's go," Jason said, putting on his helmet again. The others followed his lead, jump-started their four-wheelers and headed for their first clue.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

"I am Lord Zedd, identify yourself."

"Surely you remember me, your Excellency; I am Goldar, your most faithful servant."

"Ah, yes, Goldar, the groveling one."

Goldar bowed his head in submission. "I surrender myself to serve and obey you only," he said. "It is good to have you back, Lord Zedd."

"Your spineless, sniveling attitude leads me to believe you will serve me well," the infamous Lord Zedd replied. "For that, I shall restore to you what was once taken away." He held up his silver Z staff and, with a bright flash of red light, two wings sprouted from Goldar's back.

"Lord Zedd, I thank you," Goldar said, bowing before his Emperor. "You will not regret this."

"Oh, he'll regret it," said Chris, entering the room. "You're a spineless pathetic monkey that hasn't had any more luck than the rest of us. Half of Rita's plans would've worked had it not been for your incompetence."

Lord Zedd raised his head at the sound of a new voice, his gaze landed on Chris and he snarled at the human stench coming from the Prince of Darkness. "What is this, a human? What is this Earthling doing in my palace?"

"My name is Chris," Chris said. "I control the Badge of Darkness."

"Rita, this is your doing, no doubt!" Zedd snarled at the Empress.

Rita bowed to her Emperor. "Ah! My brave and powerful Lord Zedd - what a pleasant surprise. Welcome, how can I be of service to you? How about giving me another chance, I swear I will not fail you again."

"Quiet!" Lord Zedd snapped. "Those Power Rangers are mere infants. You were defeated my children. You dare call yourself an Empress of Evil? You are not fit to destroy a cockroach!"

"Hey, now hang on a minute," Chris interrupted. "Rita's plans would've worked had it not been for this overgrown buffoon," he nodded at Goldar.

"Do not interrupt!" Zedd hissed, clenching his hand at Chris. The gold Ranger fell to his knees as he felt the oxygen in his lungs disappear. He gasped and hunched over until he was kneeling in front of Zedd; once he was satisfied Chris had learned his lesson, Zedd released the human.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

With more than two hours having passed since the start of the race, and their first four clues already solved, the Rangers once again pulled over to the side of the track, this time it was due to their communicators and not the thunder that had, somewhat, disappeared now.

Dismounting their quad, Ciaran and Nuala hurried over to Jason, Zack and Tommy as Kim, Trini and Billy arrived behind them.

"We read you, Zordon," Jason said, lifting his communicator to his lips.

"_Rangers, teleport to the command centre immediately,_" Zordon replied. "_This is an emergency._"

"We're on our way," Jason said.

"What do you think it could be?" Trini asked.

"I don't know," Jason said, looking to Tommy. "Are we clear?"

The green Ranger looked around them and nodded. "Yeah, we're clear," he confirmed.

Touching either side of her communicator, Nuala disappeared in a column of silver as Ciaran followed her in his usual neutral colour of white.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi," Alpha said, as soon as his human friends had arrived.

"What's going on, Zordon?" Jason asked looking up at his mentor as Nuala calmed Alpha down.

"What's the emergency?" Zack asked.

"Power Rangers, the thing I have feared most has happened. Lord Zedd has returned," said Zordon.

The Rangers frowned and exchanged looks.

"Who's Lord Zedd?" Billy asked, speaking the question on everyone's mind.

"Rita and her minions' Lord and master," Zordon explained.

"You mean to say there is someone out there _worse_ than Rita?" Kim asked.

"I'm afraid so," Zordon nodded. "Lord Zedd has been ruling over darker places within another galaxy. Eons ago he left Rita in charge to carry out his orders. Since she has failed to do so..."

"He's come back to finish the job," Trini said, interrupting her mentor but also finishing his sentence.

"Will we be able to defeat him, Zordon?" Tommy asked.

"I do not know, Rangers," said Zordon. "I'm afraid your Zords may not be powerful enough to defeat Lord Zedd's magic."

"Lord Zedd's power is unmatched by anything we've ever seen before," said Alpha, looking away from the super computer.

"That's what that thunder was," said Nuala. "Earlier. It wasn't an incoming thunderstorm as predicted, it was Lord Zedd."

"Yes, Nuala," Zordon confirmed.

Nuala sighed and nudged Ciaran. "Still not afraid?" she asked.

"Nope, that feeling has passed," Ciaran replied. "Now? Now, I'm terrified."

"I think that goes for all of us," Nuala muttered, pulling her younger brother back into her arms and hugging him tightly. Ciaran held onto her wrists and leaned back into her embrace. He knew that while he was with Nuala, she would do everything within her power to protect him.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi, Rangers, come quick," Alpha called from the viewing globe.

"What is it, Alpha?" Ciaran asked, wandering over.

"Look."

"It's Bulk and Skull," Billy said, observing the two comic relief bullies as they were surrounded by Putties, only these patrollers seemed somewhat different to the others.

"They don't look like your normal run-of-the-mill putties," Kim said, looking over her shoulder at Zordon.

"They are Lord Zedd's army of putties," Zordon explained. "I am afraid they will be significantly more difficult to defeat."

"I bet this attack was meant for us," Zack said.

"We've got to get there before they hurt Bulk and Skull," said Trini, exchanging a look with Kim.

Jason nodded in agreement and reached behind him for his morpher. "It's morphin' time," he called out.

"Dragonzord!"

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabre-toothed Tiger!"

"Dire Wolf!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Jumping over Bulk and Skull, Nuala and Tommy knocked away two of Lord Zedd's putties as they aimed a strike at the two bullies. The putties dropped backwards onto the floor, whilst Bulk and Skull scrambled away from the Rangers.

"Watch you backs and stay alert!" Jason ordered his teammates as they regrouped.

The others nodded and paired off with Nuala pairing off with both Billy and Tommy. Ever since her arrival in Angel Grove, Nuala had been exceptionally close to Billy, and since his first day at Angel Grove, Tommy had grown close to Nuala, despite him crushing on Kim.

Jumping up, Nuala flipped over backwards to avoid the two putties coming towards her. When she landed, Nuala kicked behind her, catching another puttie in the stomach and sending him flying back into a tree. She then latched onto the arms of the two putties in front of her and, tugging with all of her strength, smashed them together.

"Nuala, look out!" Tommy and Billy called. Twirling around, Nuala barely had enough time to duck as her two friends kicked up at her, she squeaked and tumbled forward into a head roll, and tumbling back to her feet as the blue and green Rangers dealt with the putties that had tried to sneak up on her.

"Thanks, guys," Nuala said, breathing a sigh of relief. "But how about a little more warning next time?"

The two chuckled before the usual garbling echoed from their left. Looking around Tommy easily caught Zack as he was shoved in their direction.

"Man! I don't know if I can last much longer," Zack said, rubbing his arm from where the Puttie had kicked him.

"Come on, hang in there," Billy said, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"There's got to be a way," Tommy said.

Nuala grunted as she and Kim fell back-to-back with a circle of putties around them.

"These things have _got_ to have a weak spot," Kim complained.

"They don't even seem to be tiring out," Nuala said, her breathing heavy from fighting. She jumped up and hit a double kick to the incoming putties, she stumbled back towards Billy as another hit her in the stomach. "That didn't go as planned," she coughed.

"Are you OK?" Billy asked her.

"Yeah, just winded," Nuala replied.

"Tommy!"

Looking around, both Nuala and Billy noticed Tommy kneeling on the ground, inches away from an attacking puttie. Kim was fighting nearby, but seemed to have her hands full and was unable to help her friend. Just a strike away from Tommy, the Puttie exploded as Jason jumped over his fallen friend and punched the puttie square in the 'Z' plate on his chest.

"Hey!" Nuala and Billy breathed. Jason had done it. He had found their weak spot.

"It's the Z," Billy said, turning to Nuala. "Aim for the Z."

Nuala nodded and broke away from her friend. She flipped over two putties, grabbed their arms and aimed a kick to their chests, hitting them in the Z's. They exploded, leaving behind nothing but a deserted track.

Once all putties had been destroyed, the Rangers regrouped around Tommy and Jason.

"Are you alright, bro?" Jason asked, helping Tommy to his feet.

"Yeah, thanks," Tommy replied. "My powers... they started to fail."

"We should get back to the command centre," Nuala suggested.

Jason nodded. "Yeah, but first we have to check on Bulk and Skull," he said, looking around for the his classmates. He found them on the hill behind him and the others, hiding behind a bush. "Hey, you two up there, are you OK?"

Bulk and Skull exchanged surprised looks, probably astounded that they were actually being addressed by the Power Rangers of Angel Grove. Unable to form a proper sentence, both Bulk and Skull nodded and offered the team a double thumbs up, indicating that they were OK.

"That's great," said Jason. "All right, guys, let's get back to the command centre."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Ciaran, who had been watching the fighting on the viewing globe, almost immediately run into his sister's arms the moment she returned to the command centre. Sometimes he hated having to stay behind, and understood more clearly the reasons why Nuala had agreed to become a Ranger - but he also understood her reasons to leave too - the idea of being a Ranger himself had been a dream since he had learned of his sister's secret identity, but he knew that it was a dream that would probably never come true.

"You're OK," Ciaran said, as Nuala removed her helmet and set it on the side above the computer. "Those things were nasty."

"Those things were tough," Nuala said, sighing a breath of relief.

"Yeah," the others nodded in agreement.

"You were right, Zordon," Jason said, looking up at his mentor. "Those putties were a lot stronger than we anticipated."

"My powers failed me," Tommy said again. "If it wasn't for Jason..."

"You were lucky to find their weak spot so quickly," Zordon said. "Apparently the 'Z' on their chest is the source of their power."

"I'm willing to bet Lord Zedd wasn't counting on you discovering it so soon," Ciaran said. "Or if at all."

"I wonder what he's got in store for us next," Kim said, worriedly.

"I'm afraid to find out," Trini admitted.

"Well, I've got a feeling it isn't Pudgy Pig," Zack muttered.

"How do you feel about fish, Zack?" Nuala asked, as her gaze caught sight of the viewing globe. The image within showed a fish monster ascending from a lake not that far from the rally. "What is that thing, Zordon? I have a feeling it's not just _any_ fish."

"Your feelings would be correct, Nuala," Zordon replied. "My systems tell me that the fish was in fact a Piranha, now called 'Priahntis Head.'"

"As in man-eating?" Ciaran asked.

"I'm afraid so," Zordon confirmed.

"Oh, great," Nuala muttered, running a hand through her hair.

"This monster has been sent to find you in Angel Grove. Tommy, you must stay behind temporarily while the others morph. Alpha and I will try to re-energize your powers to make them stronger."

Tommy, despite not liking the idea of having to stay behind, nodded and looked to his friends. "All right, guys, I'll be there as soon as I can," he promised.

"Uh-huh," Trini nodded.

Jason nodded once and grabbed his helmet from the computer; the others followed him and fell into step behind him. "Back to action!" he commanded, disappearing from the command centre along with the others and leaving Tommy in the capable hands of Alpha, and company of Zordon and Ciaran.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Priahntis Head laughed wickedly as he stood on the rooftop overlooking the his battlefield. The Rangers stood just beneath him, each trying to locate him. "Watch _this_, Power Rangers!" he shouted. He put his fin to his mouth and shot out a stream of highly energized blue water. The stream hit a building, causing it and those surrounding, to explode.

The Rangers covered themselves as best they could to avoid being flattened.

"Give it up, Power Rangers," Priahntis Head called. "You'll never defeat Lord Zedd!"

"That remains to be seen, fish face!" Jason shouted. "We need Dinozord power, now!"

"I'm afraid this time you're going to be left out in the cold!" Priahntis Head said, blowing an ice cold mist over the Zords.

"He's frozen the Zords!" Trini said, watching with wide eyes as her Sabre-Toothed Tiger stopped moving towards the city.

"That's it," said Kim, shaking her head. "We're done for."

"She's right," said Zack. "Without our Zords..."

"We're history."

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><p><strong>Copyrighted ©<strong>

_Depending on if I manage to get chapter five written up, I will attempt to update tomorrow night. But I make no promises._

_Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Nuala's sequel. Please let me know what you think!_

_Favourites and Alerts are welcome, and Reviews are rewarded!_

**Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx**

**Chapter updated 19th January, 2015 at 12:58am  
><strong>


	2. The Thunderzords, Part II

**Author's Note:** I am glad you all enjoyed the first chapter. Here is a second one to tire you all over until I can get chapter three out. I want to try and get as far as chapter 10 written up before I go ahead and post any more. We'll see how the process goes.

**Rating:** T for safety.

**Dedications:** Thank you to: **Alex B Goode, Grapejuice101, Starpower21, Timjudd341, Skyfrost14, CamaroDude1989, Thunderyoshi, Redder45, Pinkrangerfan, Jessfairy88, Powerrangerzrock, Seraphis88, Powerrangersfan364** and **Toribaskett15.**

_I don't own Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. But I do own any original characters that are of my own creation._

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Raising the Stakes

**Summary: **After Lord Zedd arrives on the moon to complete the task that Rita has failed to do, the Rangers must take on new Thunderzords in order to battle him. Unfortunately with three Rangers leaving, a new power source is needed in order to keep the team from collapsing.

* * *

><p>"Wait, look, he didn't freeze all the Zords" said Nuala, pointing at a parting in the clouds as the Dire Wolf and Tyrannosaurus Zords ploughed through. The Dire Wolf was hunched down, close to the ground, allowing the frozen air to fly over it.<p>

Jason nodded and turned to Nuala. "You ready?" he asked her. Seeing as both their Zords had been unaffected by the monster's spell, it was up to them two to save the day.

"Do I have a choice?" Nuala asked.

"Not really, no," Jason said.

"Then why did you ask?"

Jason rolled his eyes behind his helmet and turned back to the scene at hand. "Right. Come on, Nuala," he said, taking a step forward.

Nuala followed him but was quickly held back by Billy.

"Guys, wait," the blue Ranger said, pointing at the two Zords. They each glowed a faint red and silver, and then turned toe and trampled towards the humans.

"Whoa! Look out!" Jason yelled, diving aside. The others followed him, just as the area around them exploded.

"What's going on?" Nuala asked, looking up at the Dire Wolf. Its eyes were no longer their natural soft blue, but an inky black instead.

The Tyrannosaurus roared as the Dire Wolf snarled.

"They've turned on us," Jason said.

"Now what do we do?" Kim asked.

"Our only hope now is Tommy and his Dragonzord," said Nuala, mournfully.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Ciaran watched the raging battle via the viewing globe. Behind him, Zordon and Alpha were re-energizing Tommy's power coin.

"I can temporarily strengthen your powers, Tommy," Zordon explained. "But I do not know how long they will last. Unfortunately, I cannot risk giving you much more."

Tommy nodded and looked up at his mentor. "It's alright, Zordon," he said. "I understand. How are the others doing, Ci?"

"Not good," Ciaran replied. "Most of the Zords are frozen, and the Dire Wolf and Tyrannosaurus have been turned against the Rangers. They need you and the Dragonzord."

"Right," said Tommy, putting on his helmet. "I'm out of here."

There was a flicker of green and he disappeared.

"And may the power protect them all," Zordon said.

"Zordon, is there any chance of re-routing the power of the Dire Wolf and Tyrannosaurus?" Ciaran asked.

"I'm afraid not, Ciaran," Zordon said. "The Rangers must save their Zords before we can administrate more powers."

Ciaran paused and glanced back at the giant floating head in a tube. "Wait, are you saying there is another level of power?" he asked.

"Yes," Zordon nodded.

"But the Rangers can't access it without their original Zords?"

Zordon nodded again.

Ciaran frowned. "That... kinda sucks," he murmured, turning back to the viewing globe.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Arriving downtown, Tommy regrouped with the others.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking from each Ranger to the next.

"Fish face froze our Zords," Zack said, "and then turned the Tyrannosaurus and Dire Wolf against us."

"I'll call out the Dragonzord to protect us," Tommy said, raising his flute and blowing into it. The familiar three-piece tune sounded and the waters bubbled as the Dragonzord emerged from its depths.

Turning its attention away from the Rangers, the Tyrannosaurus roared and charged at the newcomer. The two clashed in the middle of the city with the Tyrannosaurus head-butting the Dragonzord, and the latter rebuffing by swinging its tail around. Suddenly the Dragonzord roared in agony as the Dire Wolf clamped its powerful jaws down on its tail.

Using its opponent's distraction to its advantage, the Tyrannosaurus whirled its tail around and hit the Dragonzord in the snout. Roaring in anger, the Dragonzord shifted its body weight and flung the Dire Wolf off of its tail and into the Tyrannosaurus, knocking them both down.

The Dire Wolf shook its head and rolled back to its paws. Unlike the Tyrannosaurus it was able to move around easier with four long legs, rather than struggle with one set of long legs and one set of short arms. So, while the Tyrannosaurus struggled to regain its footing, the Dire Wolf growled and lowered itself to the ground and crawled, stakingly, towards the Dragonzord.

The Dragonzord roared a warning at its friend. Since Tommy and Nuala shared a close bond as Rangers, both their Zords had bonded too.

"Hey, you two, it's not nice to fight each other," said Priahntis Head. The Dragonzord glowed a faint green, it roared and fired at the crouching Dire Wolf, but missed and hit the ground behind the Rangers instead.

The team cried out in alarm as they were thrown through the air due to the blast.

"Oh, no!" Tommy gasped. "They got the Dragonzord too!"

"This can't be happening!" said Jason in disbelief.

"Oh, what fun?" Priahntis Head shouted. "Your own Zords will finish you off."

In the midst of picking themselves up, Nuala paused and glanced up at the Zords. Her eyes widened as he breathing caught in her throat. "Uh, guys, I think we've got more pressing issues right now," she said, pointing at the three Zords.

They had each turned in the Rangers directions and readied their primary assault features. The Dire Wolf opened its jaws, revealing its ice blaster, as the Tyrannosaurus revealed its fire blaster and the Dragonzord armed its missiles. Each one was aimed directly at the Rangers.

"Look out!" Jason yelled. He grabbed Trini and Kim and shoved them towards the building to the left. The side door was already open making it easier for the two Rangers to rush inside. Zack and Billy followed with Jason pausing at the entrance and turning back to Nuala and Tommy, both of whom had yet to move. "Come on, you guys!" he called to his friends.

"Tommy, we gotta get out of here!" Nuala said, as the ground beneath her feet started to shake violently. "If we stay here, we're gonna get trampled."

"We've gotta help them," Tommy said.

"We can't do that if we're crushed!" Nuala said.

"Maybe I can distract them," Tommy suggested. "Just long enough for you and Jason to regain control."

"What if you can't?"

"We can't just give up," Tommy insisted. "We've got to at least try."

Nuala looked hesitant. But agreed nonetheless. "OK, fine," she said. "One try. If it doesn't work the first time, then we get out of here and rethink the plan. OK?"

"Alright," Tommy said, agreeing to the deal. He raised his flute to his lips and started to play again.

The Dragonzord raised its head to the noise. He recognised it through the fog that filled his mind, but at the same time he wanted to ignore it and go on destroying.

While Tommy distracted the Dragonzord, Nuala rushed to tell Jason the plan. The red Ranger nodded and took off with the silver Ranger through the abandoned building, the others, while slightly confused, followed after them at a quick pace.

Crashing through the door leading to the roof, Nuala and Jason looked around for their respective Zords. The Dire Wolf was closest, although it was crouched down, just beneath the rooftop, and looked ready to pounce onto Tommy.

"What are we doing up here?" Zack asked. "What's the plan?"

"Tommy said he'd try and distract the Zords," Nuala explained. "Leaving us to try and re-take control."

"You really think we can do that?" Kim asked.

"If we can get to them," said Jason. "We can try."

"Then let's do it," said Billy.

"Wait!" Trini called, pointing at the Dragonzord. It had broken free of Tommy's manipulations and turned its missiles onto the roof where the others were standing. It opened fire before either of the team had a chance to react.

Nuala screamed as the attack blew her, and the others, off of the building and back onto the floor of the alley. She groaned and shook her head, looking up at her faithful Dire Wolf. "Tommy," she said into her communicator. "It's not going to work."

"Nuala's right, Tommy," Jason added. "We need to regroup."

"_Right. I'm on my way_," Tommy replied.

"We better get back to the command centre," Jason said, turning to the others.

They nodded in agreement and, as soon as Tommy had joined them, they each disappeared.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Ciaran looked around as the team returned. They looked battle weary, and he couldn't blame them.

"Zordon, we lost our Zords," Jason said.

"That's it," Zack said. "We're history."

"I can't believe this is how it ends," Trini said, looking downtrodden.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Kim asked, looking up at her mentor.

Zordon shook his head. "I'm afraid there is nothing that could ever give the Zords enough power," he said. "You now need stronger new Zords, equipped with the power of thunder to defeat Lord Zedd."

"New Zords?" Tommy asked.

"The power of thunder?" Billy asked. "What do you mean, Zordon?"

"Follow me, Rangers," Alpha said, turning away from the super computer. He walked the length of the command centre and disappeared through a side door.

The Rangers exchanged looks and followed him. They found Alpha waiting for them outside; he was standing on the edge of the cliff overlooking the vast desert outside of Angel Grove, within which stood huge, never-before-seen Power Zords.

The head of the group was a large red dragon. Its eyes glowed bright in the dim light of the clouds.

"Jason, you will control the red dragon Thunderzords, its power is fierce and true," said Zordon.

A great yellow griffin followed the dragon towards the command centre. It's call earning to its commander.

"Trini, yours shall be the Griffin Thunderzords, swift and accurate."

A black lion pawed at the ground. Its eyes glowed a bright yellow and its roar echoed for miles.

"Zack, the Lion Thunderzords will have courage and strength."

The clouds parted and a blue horse with a horn on its forehead stampeded through.

"Billy, your Unicorn Thunderzords has mythological powers and wisdom."

A shrill cry ripped through the air as a pink bird twirled through the clouds.

"Kimberly, the Firebird Thunderzords shall be yours, strong and agile."

A flicker of silver dust sprinkled over the Rangers as a small fairy-like creature flittered through the sky.

"Nuala, the Sprite Thunderzords shall answer to you, she may be small but she is powerful," Zordon said. "When joined together all shall form the Thunder Megazord."

Nuala laughed lightly as her new Zord fluttered around her, and then rejoined the rest of the Zords in the sky. "These new Zords are amazing," she said, mesmerized.

"Wait, what about Tommy?" Ciaran asked, noticing that the only Ranger without a new Zord was the green one.

"It's not yet known whether or not Tommy's powers will remain," Alpha explained.

"It's alright, guys," Tommy said with a heavy sigh. "We knew this might happen. I just wish there was something I could do about it."

Kim smiled sadly as she put her hand on Tommy's shoulder.

"When do we take control of the new Zords?" Trini asked.

"It is important that we regain control of the old Zords first," Alpha said.

The team sighed. They should've guessed that gaining new powers shouldn't have been as easy as it seemed.

"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us, guys," said Jason, unable to tear his gaze away from the new Zords.

"That's an understatement," Nuala murmured.

"Come on," said Jason, leading the way back into the command centre. "We'll think of something."

Nuala heaved a heavy sigh and wrapped an arm around Ciaran as they followed the others. She was fresh out of ideas on how to regain control of her Zord. The Dire Wolf was more than just a hunk of metal to her, it was her friend, it had been there for her when times were tough, and had actually been the reason behind her escape from Tommy when he had been the evil green Ranger.

"Anything yet, Alpha?" Trini asked.

After showing the Rangers the new Zords, Alpha had begun working on a solution to free the old ones from Lord Zedd's grasp. Every time one of the Rangers had come up with an idea, it had fallen through before they had even got to executing it.

"Only a few statistics that I must analyse more thoroughly," Alpha replied.

"Here. Let me help you," Billy said, taking the paper from the robot and reading over the data printed on it.

Zack stood up from the step he'd been sitting on with Kim, and patted Tommy on the arm as he passed the green Ranger. Tommy, on the other hand, was looking anxious, he keep rubbing his hands over one another and was staring into space.

"There's gotta be a way," he said, looking up at Zack.

"Hey, hang on, I think I've got something," Billy said, looking up from the data Alpha had collected.

"What is it?" Trini asked.

"Well, if we build a device that will interfere with Lord Zedd's signal," Billy said. "We should be able to release the Zords."

"Like reprogramming them," Jason said, catching on faster to what Billy was suggesting.

"Exactly," Billy nodded. "I think I have all the available equipment back at my lab."

"Alpha, Billy, good work," Zordon praised. "We have no time to lose. Lord Zedd's monster must be stopped."

"I'll teleport back to the lab with you, maybe I can help," Trini said to Billy.

"Thanks," Billy nodded.

"OK, go," said Jason.

Billy and Trini each disappeared, leaving their friends to sigh and wait for their return.

"I hope this works," Nuala said, resting her head back against the underside of the super computer.

Ciaran sat beside her, his head resting against her arm. "Me too," he said, hopefully.

Not long after Billy and Trini had left, did the alarms start blaring, alerting the Rangers left behind to trouble in the city.

"Zordon, what's happening?" Tommy asked.

"Since taking control of your Zords, Lord Zedd is confident that he has defeated you," Zordon explained. "He has ordered his monster to attack."

"But Billy and Trini haven't had enough time to finish the device yet," said Ciaran, jumping up.

"We can't wait for them," Jason said. "We've gotta morph."

"I'm with you," Zack agreed. "There's no telling what that fish is up to next."

"Rangers, I understand your concern," Zordon said. "But without your Zords you will not be able to defeat this monster, and might be seriously hurt."

"If we don't do something, then someone else is going to be seriously hurt!" Nuala argued.

"Angel Grove and the world cannot afford to lose its only protectors," Zordon responded.

"Nuala's right, Zordon, we can't just sit around and wait," said Jason, placing a hand on Nuala's shoulder to try and calm her.

"There's nothing we can do?" Zack asked.

"Patience, Power Rangers, Billy and Trini will not let you down," Zordon said.

Ciaran shook his head and turned away from Zordon. His gaze caught sight of the viewing globe and a gasp escaped his lips. "Nuala!" he cried.

"What?" Nuala asked, turning to her brother.

"Look, the monster is heading for the rally," Ciaran said, pointing at the globe.

Nuala turned her gaze onto the looking glass. "Guys, we can't just sit here and do nothing," she said, looking to her friends. "If he can take control of our Zords, then he can take control of anything mechanical."

"Zordon, we've got to do something!" Zack said. He was starting to feel restless and useless by just standing around and not doing anything. He and his friends were supposed to be Power Rangers, they had sworn to protect the city and the world, not watch as it was destroyed.

"Alpha, contact Billy and Trini," Zordon ordered.

"Right away, Zordon," Alpha said, opening a connection between the blue and yellow Rangers.

"Billy, Trini, have you finished the device yet?" Zordon asked.

"_Negative. We're still working on it_," Billy replied.

"_Yeah, hopefully we'll get it done soon,_" Trini added.

Nuala shook her head and wheeled around to face her friends. "We can't afford to wait," she said.

"This monster could do a lot of damage in the time it takes for them to finish that device," Tommy agreed.

"Zordon, we've got to morph," Jason said, taking the lead. "Maybe we can at least slow the monster's progress."

"Alright, Rangers," Zordon said, realising that he couldn't stop them. "But only because the situation is urgent."

"Please be careful," Alpha urged.

"Tell Billy and Trini to meet us there," Kim said, as she fell into step beside Nuala.

"Back to action!" Jason commanded, as he and the others disappeared.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

The team arrived in the middle of the rally point. Around them they could hear the distant roars of several engines, but were unsure whether or not the engines were getting closer or further away.

"All right. Stay alert, everyone," Jason said, reminding his friends of the dangers that surrounded them.

"I don't see the monster anywhere," Zack said, looking around.

"Or the Zords," Tommy added.

"The monster's here somewhere," said Kim. "I can almost smell it."

"Let's look around," said Jason. "But be careful, and stick together."

The others nodded and followed him off down the trail. Unbeknownst to them they were being watched from the moon by Zedd as his telescopic vision.

Trudging down into an open area just off the beaten track, the Rangers stopped and glanced at one another. They were standing in the exact same location that they had seen on the viewing globe, but the monster was nowhere to be found.

"Alright, I'll bite," said Nuala. "What the hell is going on? I mean, we're in the right place."

"Yeah, so where is this guy?" Tommy asked.

"He's got to be around here somewhere," Kim said.

Loud laughter caught their attention, causing them to look up. The monster was standing on the ridge behind them. "Looking for something, Rangers?" he asked.

"There he is!" Tommy said, pointing him out.

"In the flesh," Zack said. "Or should I say scales?"

"Let's go!" Jason said, running forward. The others followed him, but the monster had other ideas and quickly disappeared.

"Where'd he go?" Nuala asked, sliding to a stop at the base of the ridge.

"Hold on, Nuala," Kim said, grabbing her friends arm and holding her back. "Look!" she pointed at the small patrol of putties that appeared seconds after the monster had taken off.

"Aw man!" Zack complained. "It's a trap."

"Remember, guys, aim for the 'Z'," Jason said, pulling back his fist and racing forward. He punched an oncoming foot soldier in the chest causing it to explode instantly.

Kim jumped as a putty tried to sweep her legs out from under her, when she landed she kicked behind her, hitting another putty in the chest and causing him to explode.

Whipping around Zack grabbed a putty by the arm and flipped it over his shoulder, and knocking another one down. He then jumped up and over another that stood behind him, before kicking it in the butt. With most of his putties down, Zack grabbed the arm of a fourth putty, kicking him and hitting it in the chest. It exploded.

Tommy flipped over numerous times before landing amongst the putty patrollers. He kicked two in the chest and sent them stumbling back into two more; as the first two exploded their flailing arms hit the two others and destroyed them like dominoes.

"Nuala, look out!" Jason called. He grabbed the silver Ranger's hand and pulled her forward. Nuala clutched tightly onto Jason's grasp and propelled herself forward, kicking at a Putty that had tried to creep up on her friend; she hit it in the 'Z' and destroyed it, while Jason doubled kicked two more putties that had tried to take Nuala out.

"Thanks, Jase," Nuala said, turning to the red Ranger.

Jason nodded and looked around at his friends. Kim and Tommy had regrouped and Zack was doing a victory dance.

"Hey, you two all right?" Tommy asked, jogging over to Jason and Nuala. The pair nodded.

"Yeah, but the monster's gone," Nuala said, looking around and realising they were alone again.

"We'll get him next time," Tommy said. "Right now we need to figure out what Lord Zedd's next move is going to be."

"What about the Zords?" Kim asked.

"Billy and Trini should be finished by now, right?" Nuala asked, she raised her communicator, but before she could contact either of her missing friends, Zack pointed at something over her shoulder.

"Aw no, look who is back," said the black Ranger.

Nuala turned to see Priahntis Head stalking towards them.

"It's show time, Rangers!" he said, putting his fin to his jaws. He blasted the ground, a few feet away from the team of five, and called forth the Tyrannosaurus, Dragonzord and the Dire Wolf, all of which had been frozen until they were needed.

Jason pointed to a small hill nearby. "Take cover!" he said, pushing Kim and Nuala forward first. The two girls reached the hill before the others and tucked down out of sight, but leaving just enough space to peer out over the top. They saw Jason, Zack and Tommy laying on the ground, withering in agony.

"Guys!" Kim yelled.

"No, stay there!" Jason shouted. He and the guys had already been caught in the Zords path of destruction; he didn't want them to be hurt too. Although he didn't want anything remotely serious to happen to himself, Zack or Tommy, if, in the event that it did, it would be up to Kim and Nuala to keep fighting until Billy and Trini were ready.

Nuala hesitated as she watched the Tyrannosaurus, the Dire Wolf and the Dragonzord tower over her fallen friends. "We gotta do something," she said, looking back at Kim.

"Yeah, but what?" Kim asked with a small shrug.

"I don't know," Nuala said, shaking her head. "There's gotta be a way to get through to the Zords. Maybe if I can get close enough, I can... I don't know... talk to the Dire Wolf, or something. He and I share a bond; it can't be that hard to break, can it?"

Kim shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know, Nuala," she said. "Whatever hold Zedd has over our Zords, it seems pretty strong to me. Besides, if you go out there, and it doesn't work, you'll be a sitting duck."

"We're sitting ducks now," Nuala protested. "We need... we need..." she gasped and lifted her communicator, opening a link to the power chamber. "Zordon, we need the new Zords!"

"_The new Zords are on standby, Nuala,_" Zordon replied. "_However they cannot be activated until the device allowing you to control your old Zords is completed._"

"TOMMY!" Kim yelled as the area surrounding Tommy, Jason and Zack exploded again and the three guys were thrown through the air.

Nuala caught Kim's hand as she tried to rush out from behind the hill, above them the three Zords roared and snarled, as their attention shifted from the three guys' and onto the two girls'. Lowering itself to the ground, the Dire Wolf crept away from the Dragonzord and the Tyrannosaurus, and stalked towards Nuala and Kim.

"Winter, don't!" Nuala yelled desperately. But her Zord paid no attention to the desperation in her voice.

"I don't think he's listening, Nuala," Kim said, taking a hesitant step backwards.

Nuala felt her heart skip a beat. The Dire Wolf was less than a few yards from her and Kim, running was out of the question, the Wolf could've easily frozen them in their tracks before they got a good distance away, plus the two refused to run away and leave their friends.

"What are we going to do?" Kim asked, gripping Nuala's arm tightly.

"I don't know," Nuala said, shaking her head. "But Billy and Trini need to hurry... because I don't think we can last much longer."

* * *

><p><strong>Copyrighted ©<strong>

**Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx**

**Chapter updated Tuesday, January 20, 2015 at 12:57am**


	3. The Rangers vs Lord Zedd, Part III

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, I had to go back to edit one or two things in chapter two – Mostly, towards the end of the chapter – Nuala called out 'Dire Wolf!' but it has now been changed to 'Winter' showing that Nuala has, in fact, named her Zord.

**Dedications: **Thank you to: **Summer490 **and **Avenger-Ally** for adding this story to their alerts. Appreciate it a lot.

**Rating:** T for safety.

_I don't own Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. But I do own any original characters that are of my own creation._

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Raising the Stakes

**Summary: **After Lord Zedd arrives on the moon to complete the task that Rita has failed to do, the Rangers must take on new Thunderzords in order to battle him. Unfortunately with three Rangers leaving, a new power source is needed in order to keep the team from collapsing.

* * *

><p>Suddenly, and without warning, the shaking stopped and so did the Zords. The Dire Wolf was less than a giant stride away from Nuala and Kim, but was motionless. The silver and pink Rangers could hear its heavy breathing and see its eyes glowing, but it made no advances towards them.<p>

"I don't get it," Kim said. "Why isn't he attacking?"

Nuala shook her head and took several steps towards her Zord. She reached out her hand to touch its snout, but a low grumble from its chest halted her. She sighed and stepped away from it.

"This whole thing is getting weirder by the second," Tommy said, picking himself up from the ground. He turned and helped Jason and Zack back to their feet and then the three hurried off to where Nuala and Kim were standing.

"The important thing is they stopped," Zack said.

"Right. I just hope Billy and Trini get here with that signal blocker, and fast," said Jason. He caught sight of Nuala from the corner of his eye and walked towards her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You OK?" he asked.

"I don't get it," Nuala said, shaking her head. "How can Zedd control them? I mean, I thought they would've been protected from things such as this."

"We don't know how Zedd works, Nuala," Jason said. "We're not completely sure of what tricks he has up his sleeves."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Jason sighed and shook his head. Out of all of his friends, Nuala seemed to have the most to worry about. "What's this really about?" he asked.

Nuala lifted her gaze and stared at the Dire Wolf. Her bond with it was strong, but not strong enough to break through whatever Zedd had done to it, but that didn't mean she was willing to give up the Zord to evil. She had proven on more than one occasion that the Dire Wolf was more to her than just a hunk of metal.

"After Chaos and Ceaser," Nuala said her voice breaking. It had been months since she had even thought about her beloved pets, and now to be on the verge of losing another animal that she cared deeply for was bringing back painful memories. "I swore to myself that I couldn't lose something else I cared about. I _wouldn't_. I know many people think that compassion is a weakness..."

"You were chosen to be a Ranger because of your compassion," Jason said. "It doesn't make you weak."

"But if I lose Winter," Nuala said, shaking her head.

"You won't," Jason promised. "Billy and Trini are working on the solution. You just have to trust them."

"I do," Nuala murmured. "I just..."

Jason squeezed her in a one-armed hug. "I know it's hard, Nuala," he said. "But we'll get through it. We'll get the Zords back, we'll activate the new Zords, and we'll be stronger than ever. Hey, you never know, maybe Alpha can put a block or something on the new Zords to make it impossible for Zedd to regain control of them or something. Would that put your mind at ease?"

Nuala nodded.

"We'll suggest it once everything's back to normal, OK?"

"OK," Nuala replied quietly.

"Hey, Rangers, I have another surprise for you," Priahntis Head called down from the ridge overlooking the quarry.

Nuala sighed and turned her back on the Dire Wolf. She was tired of the battle already; she just wanted her Zord back and the chance to go home.

"Why don't you just swim back upstream you overgrown herring?!" Jason shouted, his arm falling from Nuala's shoulder.

Priahntis Head laughed again, and reactivated the Zords. The Dire Wolf rumbled to life and stood up tall, it lowered its head to Nuala and the other Rangers, before turning toe and charging off in the opposite direction. It howled to the Tyrannosaurus and Dragonzord, urging them to follow it.

"Oh no, they're heading towards the rally!" Kim gasped.

"NO!" Nuala yelled, trying to chase after them. Jason grabbed her arm and held her back. "We have to do something!" she said, struggling for release.

"And we will," Jason said. "But getting ourselves trampled isn't helping anyone."

"It's better than just staying here and watching!" Nuala argued.

"Nuala, will you stop for a second and listen to me!" Jason said, holding onto her tighter. When she persisted he sighed and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his chest.

Nuala continued to squirm and fight against her friend. From where she stood she could see the Dire Wolf standing at the edge of the rally track, its jaws open and ready to attack.

"Zack, you, Kim and I'll position ourselves over there," Jason said, pointing to the opposite side of rally point. "Maybe we can get their attention and draw them away."

"Right," Kim nodded.

"What about them?" Zack asked, nodding at Tommy and Nuala.

"Tommy and Nuala, you guys try and get closer," Jason said. "If you can, maybe you can get inside and slow the Zords down, at least until Billy and Trini are ready."

The four nodded and, as soon as Jason released Nuala, she shot off like a bullet from a gun. The team knew she was fast, and had to be just as fast to catch up with her.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

"Hey, you wanna slow down?"

"Keep up!" Nuala called over her shoulder.

Tommy chuckled and picked up the pace. The two had barely reached the rally point when the Dragonzord opened fire on their approach. "Look out!" Tommy yelled, nabbing Nuala around the waist and tumbling sideways down an incline. The two lay at the bottom as the Dragonzord prepared its missile's again.

"Come on," Nuala said, scrambling to her feet. She grabbed Tommy's hand and pulled him down behind a small hill. "Are you OK?" she asked, once they were hidden.

Tommy nodded. "Are you?" he asked.

"A little shaken," Nuala replied. "But otherwise OK."

"How are we going to get close enough to get inside now?" Tommy asked.

"I don't know," Nuala said, peering over the top. The Zords were now on full alert, while the Dire Wolf stood watch over the Rally the Tyrannosaurus and Dragonzord were on the lookout for her and Tommy. "I guess it's up to Jason and the others. If they can distract the Zords, and get them to turn their backs on us, maybe we'll still have a shot."

Tommy nodded and peered over the top. He wasn't sure what was happening back with Jason, Kim and Zack, but obviously it wasn't working as the Zords were still at the rally. "Get down!" he said, pushing Nuala down as the Tyrannosaurus looked their way.

"Oh no!" Nuala whispered as the three Zords glimmered a faint white and started to attack the Rally. The Dragonzord fired its missiles, as the Tyrannosaurus fired a whirlwind from its mouth and cast up dirt and debris as it whipped around the track, and the Dire Wolf fired ice pellets at the ground, causing patches of ice to appear all over the place.

"We've gotta do something."

"Come on. Now, while their attention has been shifted," Nuala said, rising from her hiding place. Tommy followed her lead and the two run towards the rally. They made it to the Dragonzord and Tyrannosaurs without any problems, but the Dire Wolf was hidden away in front of the other two. Any chance of accessing it meant opening themselves up to the other two Zords.

"We'll have to make do with these two," Tommy said, jumping aboard his Dragonzord. He landed on its shoulder and quickly entered it from a side door in its neck.

Nuala followed his lead and hurried into the Tyrannosaurus. She had no idea what she was meant to do, or even how to hardwire a Zord, but she had to try something. The inside of the Tyrannosaurus was like being inside of a working factory. It had spindles and knobs all over the walls, followed by pipes and steam. A steel ladder led from one floor to another, and when Nuala climbed up to the top she saw that she was in the main cockpit.

"Now what do I do?" Nuala asked herself as she approached the main console. She looked over the flashing lights and tried to think of which ones to push. Obviously there was a self-destruct button, but she didn't want to use that unless it was absolutely necessary. "Come on! It can't be this hard to rewire a Zord!" she grumbled, slamming her fists down on the console.

The Tyrannosaurus roared, turned to the Dragonzord and blasted it back with a shot from its jaws.

Nuala gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh no! Tommy, are you alright?" she called.

"_Yeah. I'm OK. What happened?_" Tommy replied over the communicators.

"I'm sorry. I hit the controls..."

"_Nuala, it's OK,_" Tommy said, reassuringly. "_You didn't do any damage. But I think, for a split second, you broke Zedd's control over the Tyrannosaurus. Whatever you did, do it again._"

"What?! No! What if I don't hit you this time? What if I hit something or someone else?"

"_You won't. Angle the Tyrannosaurus away from the rally. Look, over there, to your left,_" Tommy instructed. "_It's an open area. Fire that way. No matter how many shots you need, just keep hammering until the Zord is under your control._"

Nuala hesitated but gripped the controls nonetheless. She could feel the Tyrannosaurus fighting against her; it must've twigged on to someone being inside its cockpit and was prepared to fight back as much as it could. But she relentlessly forced it to turn in the direction she wanted.

"_That's it, Nuala, now do it. Fire!_"

Nuala drew a deep breath and pounded her fist down on the console again. She felt the tension in her hands and winced at the impact they made on the console. The Tyrannosaurus roared and fired again, but this time into the open area away from the rally and other Zords.

"Whoa!" Nuala suddenly cried as the Tyrannosaurus turned on the spot and started to run from the rally. "Tommy!"

"_Nuala, hold on!_" Tommy yelled back.

"Tommy, get me out of here!"

Nuala continued to pound the console as the Tyrannosaurus pelted across the open area towards the desert. It roared, turned sharply and run towards a mountain. Nuala could see the intent was to crash right into the side, it was obvious that the dinosaur was trying to disengage her from its console.

"Come back to us, Tyrannosaurus," Nuala said, slamming her fist down again. She grabbed the controls and tried to force the dinosaur away from the side of the mountain. "Don't listen to Zedd! You're not meant to listen to him. Please!"

Still, the Tyrannosaurus didn't heel.

"STOP!" Nuala yelled, covering her face as the mountain's face came closer and closer. There was no telling the Tyrannosaurus what to do, and she barely had time to escape now. She could easily have ejected, but she still would've gotten hurt by the falling debris, or probably trampled by the flailing T-Rex.

Millimeters from the mountain, the Tyrannosaurus stopped dead. Nuala opened her eyes and lowered her arms, the lights inside the cockpit were no longer flashing red and the low humming of the engine ceased to exist.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

"Nuala? Nuala, where are you?" Tommy's voice could be heard from the level below, but Nuala was too stunned to reply. Hurried footsteps scurried up the steel ladder, and then Nuala was turned around to see Tommy standing behind her. He took her by the shoulders and shook her. "Nuala, are you OK?"

Nuala blinked and swallowed. "Wha - what happened?" she asked.

"Billy and Trini," Tommy said. "They finished the device. Are you OK?"

"Y-yeah," Nuala stammered. She was still in shock, but glad to hear that the Zords were once again back in the Rangers control.

"Come on," Tommy said, taking her hand and leading her back down to the lower level. He waited until she was off the steel ladder and then, still holding her hand, led her out onto the shoulder of the T-Rex. In the distance they could see the Dire Wolf and the Dragonzord moving away from the rally.

"Where are the others?" Nuala asked.

"They're still with Priahntis Head," Tommy answered. "We should join them."

Nuala nodded and jumped from the shoulder of the Tyrannosaurus. Before she and Tommy had even landed the ground beneath them opened up, revealing the fiery depths below.

"Hold on!" Tommy said, grasping Nuala's arm. He landed on the edge of the ravine and rolled clear, pulling the silver Ranger with him.

"What's going on?" Nuala asked, rolling over. She gasped as she watched the Tyrannosaurus disappear in the flames beneath the Earth. "No!"

Jumping to his feet, Tommy hooked his arms under Nuala's and pulled her up. "Come on, we have to find the others," he said. "We need to stick together."

"But they can't be gone," Nuala said, shaking her head. "Not after all the trouble we just went through to get them back!"

"Nuala, come on," Tommy urged, pulling her backwards. But the shock and surprise of the sudden turn of events had rooted the silver Ranger in place. Turning back to his friend, Tommy once again took Nuala by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. "I know you're scared..."

"I'm not scared!"

"OK, poor choice of words," Tommy said. "But, whatever it is you're feeling now, we can't fight without the team."

"'Fight without the team'?" Nuala repeated, shrugging his hands from her shoulders. "We just lost the Zords, Tommy, for the _second_ time. I don't think any of us can fight this."

Tommy stared solemnly at his friend. Nuala ignored him, despite not being able to see his face. She spoke the truth. Without a plan of attack or excavation, they had no way of bringing back the Zords and winning the battle against Lord Zedd. They were back to square one.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Seeing as the Dragonzord was the only Zord left standing, and not wanting it to fall back into enemy hands or sent to the depths of the Earth and never returned, Tommy sent his old friend back to the sea. Once it was safe and secured beneath the raging waters, Tommy pleaded and prodded Nuala to return to command centre with him. Finally she caved, and the two disappeared.

"It's just terrible, Zordon," Jason was saying as Nuala and Tommy arrived. The minute Nuala stepped out of her teleportation streak, Ciaran flew into her arms. He had been watching the battle from the viewing globe, and when the T-Rex had gone on a rampage with Nuala inside, he was sure she was done for. "Watching them sink down into the Earth like that."

"Everything we've worked for is gone," Trini said.

"Not quite, Trini, Alpha managed to save enough of your old Zords to create the new ones," Zordon explained.

"Ah, it was nothing," Alpha said, bashfully. "I just refactorized the morph waves and, oh, well, anyway, I got control, and now you can call your new Zords."

"But our old ones are still gone," Nuala said.

"I'm afraid so, Nuala," Zordon nodded.

The silver ranger nodded mournfully and lowered her head. Jason sighed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, he had promised her that they'd somehow save the old Zords, especially her Dire Wolf, and he had broken that promise, although it had been his intention.

"The power of your old Zord will be infused with that of your new Zord, Nuala," Zordon added. "So whatever bond you had with the Dire Wolf should still remain."

"It should?" Nuala asked, hopefully.

Zordon nodded, bringing a small smile to Nuala's face.

"These new Zords have unbelievable powers, Rangers," Zordon continued, but was cut off as the alarms blared loudly again.

"It's another attack," Alpha said.

"Rangers, you must face Priahntis Head again," Zordon said, drawing the Rangers attention to him. "Call for the new Zords when you need them and they will come. Unfortunately, Tommy, your powers are too weak to support a new Zord. I'm sorry."

"He can still morph," Alpha said, trying to brighten the situation. "He just can't power a Zord. We'll keep trying to find a way to regenerate Tommy's powers, but right now you've got to go and save Angel Grove." He pressed a large flashing red button the console behind him. "Your Zords are now fully operational and awaiting your call."

Nuala turned to Tommy and offered him a small smile. "You going to be OK?" she asked.

"Yeah. Go on," Tommy said, nodding. "Give him one for me."

"Count on it," Jason said. "Back to action!"

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

No sooner had they arrived back in the quarry, just off the rally track, the Rangers called forth their newest Zords. Nuala was still upset at losing her Dire Wolf, but if what Zordon had said was true, then her commandeering her new Sprite meant she hadn't lost it at all.

"Mastodon Lion Thunderzord Power!" Zack called. There was a flash of lighting and the remains of the mastodon thundered towards the quarry. It stopped when it was hit with a streak of lightning and transformed into a black lion.

"Pterodactyl Firebird Thunderzord Power!" Kim called. Her pterodactyl screeched as it flew through the air, only to transform into a pink firebird as it too was struck like lightning.

"Triceratops Unicorn Thunderbird Power!" Billy called as his Triceratops trundled forward. It glowed a faint blue as the lightning streak struck it, transforming it into a blue unicorn.

"Sabre-Toothed Tiger Griffin Thunderzord Power!" Trini called out as her Sabre-Toothed tiger rushed forward. It growled loudly as it was struck and transformed into the new yellow Griffin.

"Dire Wolf Sprite Thunderzord Power!" Nuala called out. She felt her heart swell as the remains of her Dire Wolf thundered into view and then started to shrink as it was hit with a streak of lightning, leaving behind a silver sprite. She was smaller than the other Thunderzords, but Nuala loved her already.

"Tyrannosaurus Red Dragon Thunderzord Power!" Jason called as his Tyrannosaurus roared. It too was struck by lightning and lifted into the air. Its body became smaller as it transformed into the red Dragon.

Once each new Zord was complete, the Rangers combined them to form the Megathunderzord. Whilst in the old Megazord Nuala had been nothing more than a piece of arsenal, in the new Megazord she was actually a part of it, but while she formed protective headpiece of the Megazord, she was still actually a weapon.

Inside the cockpit, the silver Ranger was situated between Trini and Kim, and behind Jason. The cockpit was also slightly elevated to accumulate the six Rangers, giving them all a perfect view of what was happening outside of the Megazord.

Priahntis Head growled as he charged at the new Megazord.

"Thunder Sabre, now!" the team commanded. The Megazord pulled its sword from its belt and twisted it through the air, powering it up with as much lightning as it could muster.

"You want to play rough?" Priahntis Head asked. "Then I'll play you a tune." He held up one of the fish in his hands and started to play.

"Thunder Sabre, battle action!"

The Megazord twisted the sabre in a complete circle and slashed down at Priahntis Head with it.

"So that's the way it's going to be, huh?" Priahntis Head asked, after stumbling away from the initial attack. He swung the fish chainsticks around and tossed one at the Megazord, wrapping it around the neck of the Megazord and channeling a high-velocity of energy through the chain.

The Rangers cried out in alarm as the consoles exploded.

"You're finished, Rangers," Priahntis Head laughed.

"We're not done yet!" Jason shouted. "Let's combine the powers of Thunder."

He held up the power sabre again, charged it with enough lightning power, and then pulled the chain from around the Megazords neck. He held the chain taught, running the sword against it, super-charging it up and throwing it back at the monster.

Priahntis Head sparked and toppled over onto the ground. His fish chainsticks were destroyed. He growled and tossed them aside. "Fine!" he shouted, pointing at the Megazord and regaining his footing. "I'll tear you a part with my bare fins."

"Thunder power!" the Rangers yelled, powering up for the final strike.

"Power Rangers, prepare to meet your doom!"

Wielding a fully charged sword in a complete circle, the Rangers struck down hard onto Priahntis Head. He twirled around, his fins flailing about him, before he keeled over and exploded.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Ciaran and Tommy high-fived one another as the Megazord destroyed Priahntis Head.

"Wow, those new Zords are amazing," Tommy breathed.

"Yeah," Ciaran agreed. "But don't worry, Tommy, I'm sure Alpha and Zordon will figure out a way to preserve your powers sooner rather than later."

Tommy smiled and nodded. Behind him six brightly coloured streaks touched down in the command centre, and the Rangers all stepped out. They were demorphed and looked tired, but ready to get back to the rally.

"Excellent work, Power Rangers," Zordon praised the team once they had all assembled. "Congratulations on an impressive new beginning."

"The new Zords will serve you well," Alpha said.

The team grinned at one another.

"Once mastered your new Zords will reveal even greater powers," Zordon continued.

"Something tells me Nuala's gonna master her Zord before the next battle," Zack teased, poking the silver Ranger in the shoulder.

Nuala smiled as the others chuckled. "Don't be jealous," she said, sticking her tongue out at Zack.

"What about Tommy?" Kim asked. "Will his Dragonzord be able to go through another fight?"

"The Dragonzord must now conserve what energy it has left," Zordon explained. "Just as Tommy's powers periodically fail him so it shall be with the Dragonzord."

The team sighed, feeling defeated. They may have gained new powers and new Zords, but Tommy was still stuck in the same warp of depleting old powers.

"Hey, no sweat," Tommy said, trying to sound convincing. It didn't work, the others could tell that he was just as upset as they were. "It was nice while it lasted."

"Man, what are you talking about?" Jason asked. "You know you're always be one of us."

"That's right, you got us through some tough times," Zack agreed.

"Yep, and we're not gonna forget that," Trini added.

"Hey, there still may be a way," Billy said. "Anything's possible, right?"

"Yep," Kim said, nodding. "Besides, no one ever gives up on being a Ranger."

"She's right," Nuala said. "Take it from someone who's been there... Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger."

Tommy smiled. "Thanks, guys," he said.

"Hey, wait a minute," Ciaran said, speaking for the first time since the team had returned. "I have a question that I bet none of you have actually considered."

"Yeah? What's that?" Nuala asked, wrapping her arms around her brother.

"What happened to Rita?" Ciaran asked. "And, I guess, by default, Chris? I mean, something tells me Ed's not going to be too happy with Rita's little 'Prince of Darkness', hey, Nuala, you may be lucky, he may do us all a favour and cast him adrift."

Nuala shook her head and squeezed Ciaran into a tight embrace as the others chuckled. One could only dream that Chris Anderson was gone for good.

"Actually, Ciaran, you couldn't be more right," Alpha said, turning away from the console. "Observe the viewing globe, Rangers."

"Huh?" the team frowned. They turned their backs on the little robot and gave their full attention to the viewing globe. A small flicker of space appeared in the centre of the globe, in which a miniature dumpster floated by.

Using the command center's computer ray, Alpha was able to penetrate the exterior of the dumpster to show the Rangers the contents. Rita sat in the middle of a dark space, singing to herself.

"_99 bottles of slime on the wall, 99 bottles of slime. You take one down, you pass it around, 98 bottles of slime on the wall - hey, grumpy, come on, sing along."_

_"99 bottles?"_ asked a familiar voice. "_No thanks. I quit singing childish songs a long time ago._"

Rita huffed in annoyance. "_If I have to stare at your grumpy face and listen to your attitude for the next millennia then you can get out now and find your own dumpster to cast adrift."_

"_We wouldn't be cast adrift if you hadn't have failed at defeating the Rangers!_" Chris argued.

"_Like you did any better!_" Rita snapped. "_You got beat by naive and innocent little Nuala, much less a whole team. That's not exactly something to be wholeheartedly proud of, especially for a __**prince of darkness.**_"

The rangers laughed as Ciaran grinned up at his sister. "See," he said. "I told you."

"How does it feel, Nuala?" Zack asked.

"What do you mean?"

"To know that he can't hurt -" Zack cut off as Nuala put her hand over his mouth. He frowned at her.

"Don't say it," Nuala said. "Last time I said it, he came back. I don't want to jinx it this time."

Zack rolled his eyes and flicked the tip of his tongue over the palm of her hand. Nuala recoiled and glared at him in disgust.

"You're gross," she said, wiping her hand on her jacket.

"Hold on, Rangers, the sensors indicate that something is not quite right," Alpha said, checking the monitors. "Oh no, your friends from school are still under the influence of Priahntis Head's magic. If we don't do something they'll continue to ride out of control forever."

Kim covered her mouth as she giggled relentlessly at Bulk and Skull's screams as their quads continued to drive backwards.

"Guys, we can't just leave them like that," Trini said, unable to withhold her own laughter. "We better help them."

"Perhaps my device can turn the four-wheelers back to normal," Billy suggested.

"OK, let's do it," Nuala agreed, also amused by what she could see on the viewing globe.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Once Billy had managed to remove the magnetic field on the four-wheelers, Bulk and Skull dismounted and fell over due to being too dizzy to stand upright on their own. The team chuckled at their misfortune, before Jason decided it was time to get back to the rally.

"Billy, Nuala, you guys check on those two," the red Ranger said, pointing at the two near the device. "The rest of us will go back and get the bikes."

"Alright," Billy nodded.

"We'll see you there," Nuala said. "Ciaran..."

"I'm going with Zack," Ciaran said, following the black Ranger in the opposite direction.

"Alright fine," Nuala said, leaving him go. She knew he'd be safe with Zack and the others. "Come on," she added to Billy, and the two made their way towards where Bulk and Skull were carefully picking themselves up from the ground.

"Nuala!" Skull said, laughing as he removed his helmet. "Those gray guys didn't get you."

"Gray goons?" Nuala asked, half-glancing at Billy. "What are you talking about?"

"Why are you guys riding your bikes in reverse?" Billy asked.

"More to the point," said Nuala, noticing the two coloured flags on the bike. One was blue and the other was silver. "Why are you riding _our_ bikes in reverse?"

"Well, you see, it was horrible," Bulk said. "They surrounded us, and then that giant fish... and then the Power Rangers saved us."

"The Power Rangers, huh?" Billy asked.

"Yeah. They were as close to us as... well... I am to you," Skull said, pointing at Nuala. He stepped closer until his knees hit the four-wheeler that separated them.

"And what's more we're going to find out who they really are," Bulk said.

"Oh, really?" Nuala asked. "That's, uh, quite a challenge, if I'm honest."

"See, you don't believe us now," Bulk said. "But you wait..."

"OK. Well, good luck with that... I think," Nuala said, looking awkwardly up at Billy. Thankfully she was saved from a response from either Bulk or Skull as the others arrived on their own bikes.

Once close enough, Ciaran tossed both Billy and Nuala their helmets.

"Hey guys, you think it's about time to get to the marathon?" Zack asked, removing his helmet and fixing his bandana.

"Ahem," Trini said, clearing her throat, and pointing at Bulk and Skull. "You two have to double up."

Bulk sighed at the idea of having to get back on a four-wheeler. After his little 'adventure' that afternoon he was ready to put the whole marathon behind him.

"These things better not go backwards," Skull said, holding his hand up and pointing at Bulk. He too was done with the four-wheelers, but he didn't feel the desire to walk back to the finish line.

"_You_ are backwards," Bulk said, tapping Skull on the side of the head as he walked past him towards one of the four-wheelers.

"Here you go, Billy," Nuala said, passing him his helmet. "You can drive."

Billy nodded and mounted the last four-wheeler, leaving enough space behind him for Nuala to climb aboard. A shiver run down his spine as, after she had clipped the strap of her helmet under her chin, Nuala wrapped her arms around his sides and slipped forward slightly so that she was pressed against his back.

From the corner of her eye, Nuala caught sight of Kim and Trini exchanging amused looks, and could only assume they were directed at her and Billy. She bit her lip to keep back her grin, but felt a warm blush rise in her cheeks.

"Come on, you guys," Jason called over the roar of the seven four-wheelers. "We're too far away to win, but we can still finish."

The others nodded and followed his lead back to the track, and then onwards to the finish line.

* * *

><p><strong>Copyrighted ©<strong>

_I haven't yet reached chapter 10, but I am babysitting my little monkey (nephew) tomorrow night and may not have a chance to update. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Next one will be posted when I do reach chapter 10._

_Favourites and alerts are welcome. Reviews are rewarded._

**Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx**

**Chapter updated Friday, January 23, 2015 at 11:00pm  
><strong>


	4. Taking the Lead

**Author's Note:** This was fun to write. I was tempted to leave it out, but it was one of my favourite episodes to watch. I hope you enjoy it.

**Dedications:** Thank you too **ZyudenSentaiKyroyugerisawesome** for adding the story to his alerts. Appreciate it.

**Rating:** T for safety.

_I don't own Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. But I do own any original characters that are of my own creation._

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Raising the Stakes

**Summary: **After Lord Zedd arrives on the moon to complete the task that Rita has failed to do, the Rangers must take on new Thunderzords in order to battle him. Unfortunately with three Rangers leaving, a new power source is needed in order to keep the team from collapsing.

* * *

><p>Zack grinned as made his way through the semi-empty halls of Angel Grove High. He was a little earlier than normal but that was only because he had a physics demonstration with Billy that afternoon and wanted the blue Ranger's opinion on two pairs of shades he had got for the proposal.<p>

"Hey, Billster," said Zack as he approached Billy at his locker. "Check out these glasses." He removed the shades from his shades and handed them over. "I found them at the swap meet this weekend. They'll be perfect for science class."

"The lenses and frame seem especially sturdy," Billy agreed. "They should be more than adequate to protect our eyes from our lab experiment." He took the glasses off and put them inside his locker.

Zack scoffed. "And they look cool too," he said. That had been the comment he had been expecting, not a scientific approach to the shades. But then again, he had forgotten he was dealing with Billy Cranston. The blue Ranger was a science nerd.

Billy chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Hey guys," Tommy said as he and Nuala rounded the corner. He had met the silver Ranger outside, after her mother had dropped her off, and walked in with her. After becoming good friends with Nuala and the others, Tommy had asked Caplan if he could switch to a locker closer to his friends. Nuala had done it during her first week, and Caplan was more than happy to oblige with Tommy's request.

"Hey," Billy and Zack said. The black Ranger even went as far as to salute Nuala as she passed him.

The silver Ranger giggled and opened her locker. "You're a weird one, Zack," she said, putting away her books.

"Hey, you're the one who said you enjoyed the Revolutionary War or any war, for that matter," Zack said. "I'm just playing along."

"I don't _like_ War, Zack," Nuala said. "I like History."

"Yeah, yeah, same thing," Zack said, waving her off.

Nuala rolled her eyes and slammed her locker door closed after taking out her English supplies and binder. The team had an English test today with Ms. Appleby, and she was more than prepared. English, as well as History, had always been a subject that Nuala had excelled in, even before her move to America.

"You guys ready for your physics demonstration?" Tommy asked, opening his own locker opposite his friends.

"Yeah. We even got some cool shades," Zack said. "Here, come on, Billy, the others will be here soon, let's show them how cool science can be." He reached into Billy's locker and removed a pair of dark sunglasses and put them on. Billy removed his regular glasses and did the same.

Nuala smiled and glanced across at Tommy. "Very cool," she said, patting Zack on the shoulder. "Hey, Jase. Hey, Kim," she added as the red and pink Rangers arrived.

"Hey, Nuala, how was your weekend?" Kim asked.

"Eventful," Nuala replied. "Ellis' asthma played up all weekend. Poor thing has been up the past two nights coughing."

"Aw, poor baby," Kim cooed. "Is he OK now?"

Nuala nodded. "Mum found his asthma pump Saturday evening," she said. "But his cough is lingering. If he gets worse throughout the day then Mum said she'd call the school for me to go home."

"If you need anything," said Tommy. "Don't hesitate to call, OK?"

Jason and Kim nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, guys," Nuala said with a small smile.

"Zack, do you see what I see?" Billy asked his voice abnormally loud. Tommy, Nuala, Jason and Kim jumped and turned to stare at both Billy and Zack. They had since removed their shades and were now staring at them with a look of surprise and slight fear on their faces.

"See what, guys?" Jason asked, confused.

"Putties!" Zack and Billy shouted.

Nuala, Tommy, Kim and Jason frowned and looked around themselves. They couldn't see any putties.

"What? Putties, where?" Kim asked.

"Guys..." Jason said, noticing Billy and Zack's defensive stand.

"What's the matter?" Tommy asked.

"What are you guys talking about?" Nuala asked.

"Putties? What putties?" Jason asked, looking over his shoulder again. "What do you mean 'putties'?"

Tommy exchanged a confused look with Nuala. The red-head shrugged and shook her head. "Guys, there's no one here but us," he said to Billy and Zack.

"Oh, Zack, quit clowning around," Kim said, laughing and batting her hand at the black Ranger. He jumped away from her, holding up his fists, ready to fight.

"Why aren't they attacking?" Zack asked Billy.

"I don't know," Billy replied.

"Attacking?" Nuala repeated, before turning to Jason and Tommy. "What are they talking about?"

Someone clearing their throats from behind caused the group of four to turn and smile.

"Oh, hi, Mr. Caplan," Kim said with a smile.

"They're gonna go after Caplan," Zack said, jumping into action.

"No, look out!" Billy shouted, following his friend. They brushed through Jason and Kim, knocking the pink Ranger to the floor, and collided with the head teacher. The three of them hit the floor and drew in curious bystanders, all of whom were just as confused on what was going on.

"What is wrong with you guys?" Kim asked, as Nuala helped her back to her feet.

Flustered and obviously annoyed, Caplan clambered back to his feet and seized both Zack and Billy by the cuffs of their shirts. "Billy, Zack, I am surprised at you," he scolded. "I'm afraid that I have no choice but to give you _dee-tention_. Come with me." He led them away, both of the spluttering out apologies and trying to make sense of the situation, whilst glancing back at their friends.

Nuala frowned and turned to the others. "What was that about?" she asked.

"Your guess is as good as ours," Jason said with a small shrug.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Later, after getting their detention slips from Caplan, Billy and Zack headed to the English classroom for their first lesson of the day and their test. Nuala met them at the door; she frowned as they stared at her in curiosity, almost like they'd never seen her before.

"Are you two OK?" Nuala asked. "I mean, does this have something to do with your Physics demonstration? It's OK to be nervous, you know? Even you, Billy."

"Nuala?" Billy asked.

Nuala nodded. "Yeah," she said, opening the door to the English classroom. "Who else would I be?"

"I dunno. You just..." Billy said, following her inside.

"Just... what?" Nuala asked, taking her seat. During English she usually sat in front of Billy, and beside Jason, which meant that she had to turn in her seat to face the blue Ranger whilst talking to him. But class was about to begin, and the conversation came to an end before it had even begun.

Taking her seat in front of Nuala, Kim glanced back at Billy and Zack, and then looked to Nuala. The silver Ranger shook her head. She and Kim had spoken before class, just after Caplan had carted Billy and Zack off, and decided that it would be better if Nuala tried talking to the blue and black Rangers.

Kim sighed and turned in her seat to face the front. Something was definitely off with Zack and Billy, but what?

"Hey, good luck, Zack," Jason said, turning slightly to face his best friend.

"No talking during the test," Ms. Appleby reminded them. She was standing in front of Kim's desk, a handful of papers in her arms. "Kimberly, would you help me hand out these, please?"

"Sure, Ms. Appleby," Kim said, taking the papers and standing up. She distributed them quickly and retook her seat with the last test.

"OK, class, you will have the entire period to finish your exam," Ms. Appleby explained. "Read the questions carefully, and write in complete sentences. Your papers are on your desk, and I don't anyone to say another word."

"... _another word._"

Skull looked up alarmed. He had been tapping his fingers on his tape recorder and had accidentally hit rewind and play, repeating the last two words of Ms. Appleby's sentence. "Uh-oh," he murmured, gritting his teeth.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Detention.

The words were written in block capitals on the chalkboard behind Ms. Appleby. She had agreed to take detention for the lunch period so that she could mark the English papers from her morning test.

There were only four people in detention: Billy, Zack, Bulk and Skull. It was common for Ms. Appleby to see the two bullies in detention, but she was rather surprised by the appearance of Zack and Billy, normally they were good students.

Lowering his voice, Zack leaned across his desk so that he could talk to Billy without being heard. "What's going on here, Billy?" he asked. "Those putties in the classroom couldn't have been real."

"I don't know," Billy said, playing with his shades, "and the one outside. It sounded like Nuala, but a puttie doesn't have feelings. The only explanation I can think of is that Lord Zedd must have put a spell on us. But how?"

Zack shook his head. He had no clue. Plus, he didn't _feel_ any different.

"Hey, what's with the shades?" Bulk asked, interrupting the conversation. He snatched Zack's from his desk as Skull snatched Billy's out of his hands. "Planning on being someone famous?"

Skull chuckled and slid the glasses onto his face. His laughter stopped as he looked back at Billy and Zack, his face contorted in fear and he sprang from his seat. Bulk was right behind him, spluttering in fear. The two removed the glasses and tossed them back, before blinking and rubbing their eyes as they stumbled towards the door.

"How did you do...?" Bulk asked, stumbling over his own two feet and falling out of the door.

"Eugene, Farkus, come back here!" Appleby called after them, but the two bullies were too scared to return.

Zack and Billy frowned, stared at their glasses and then looked up at each other. Could it have been the shades?

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

After detention, Billy and Zack headed off to find their friends. They didn't have to look far, however, as they found Nuala - a lone puttie to them - sitting alone in the quad doing her homework. She looked up from her Maths book as they sat down opposite her.

"OK, which one are you?" Zack asked.

"Excuse me?" Nuala asked.

"Nuala?" Billy asked, sighing in relief.

Nuala furrowed her brows as she stared between them. "What is wrong with you guys?" she asked. "Why are you acting like this?"

"This isn't an act, Nuala," Zack said. "This is real. At least it is for us."

"What are you talking about? You're seeing Putties that aren't there," Nuala said. "I thought you guys knew better than to cry wolf."

"We do!" Billy said. "Nuala, we're serious. There's something wrong."

"Then what?" Nuala asked.

"Tell me," said Zack. "What exactly are you wearing today?"

Nuala stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "Are you for real?" she asked. "You can see what I am wearing, Zack."

"No, I really can't," Zack said.

"What do you mean?"

"To us," he pointed to himself and Billy. "You looked like a puttie."

Nuala looked down at herself. She was wearing her usual denim jeans and a t-shirt. "Well, you guys look normal," she said.

"Which is why we think Zedd's put a spell on us," Billy said. "Nuala, you know I wouldn't lie to you."

"It would explain why you're pushing us away," Nuala sighed. The way Billy had looked at her earlier and how he acted like he didn't want to be anywhere near her, had hurt deep inside. But now it was starting to make sense.

"Nuala, you're the _last_ person we'd want to push away," said Zack. "But we really think something freaky is going on. I mean, even Bulk and Skull are freaking out saying they can see Putties when there are none."

Nuala frowned. "I haven't seen Bulk and Skull," she said. "Not since this morning. How many Putties do you see now?"

"Just the one," Zack answered. "You."

"Huh. It's gotta be a Ranger thing then," Nuala summarized. She started to pack away her books. "I think this warrant's a trip to the command centre. Maybe Zordon and Alpha will know something."

Zack nodded.

"Shouldn't we contact the others?" Billy asked.

"If it is anything serious then Zordon will do it," Nuala said, shrugging her backpack onto her shoulder and grabbing her jacket from the seat beside her.

Finding that they couldn't argue, Zack and Billy stood, followed Nuala to a secluded part of the school, and teleported out.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

"Do I still look like a putty to you guys?" Nuala asked as she stepped out of her teleportation streak and turned to Zack and Billy.

Billy nodded. "Affirmative," he said.

"And this happens with just us Rangers?"

"Mm-hmm," Zack murmured.

Nuala sighed and looked up at Zordon. "What's going on?" she asked.

"It is Lord Zedd's latest strategy," Zordon explained. "He wishes to upset the balance of your team. If he can keep you guessing about who is a friend and who is an enemy, he'll be free to release his latest monster upon Angel Grove - the Saliguana."

"Let me guess. A combination of a salamander and an Iguana?" Nuala asked.

"Correct," Zordon confirmed.

"Man, that is one hotheaded lizard," Zack said.

"Yeah, but an Iguana is cold-blooded," Billy said.

"And a Salamander is a mythical lizard that lives and breathes fire," Nuala added. She was pretty adept when it came to animals. Growing up she had always wanted to be one of two things: A figure skater or a veterinarian.

"Any ideas on how to defeat it?" Zack asked.

"We'll have to make a device that'll cool it down," Billy said.

"Zack and Billy, that will be your task," Zordon said. "Nuala, while they are doing that, I want you here for when the others arrive. There is no doubt that they'll be confused, your compassion and empathy will help calm them down."

Nuala nodded. "OK," she agreed.

"And while you're all doing that," said Alpha, speaking for the first time. "I'll try and find a way to reverse Zedd's spell."

Nuala paused and looked to Billy and Zack. "Didn't you say Bulk and Skull could see Putties too?" she asked.

"Yeah, but only with the glasses on," Zack said.

"Which glasses?"

Zack held up the shades he had gotten for Billy and himself that weekend. "Once they took them off they were really confused," he added.

"Come to think about it, you two started acting strange after you put these on this morning," Nuala said. "These have got to be the cause. Maybe the solution is in them too. Here you go, Alpha." She handed the Robot the two pairs of shades and turned back to the blue and black Rangers. "I'll call Jason. Tell him what's going on."

"OK," Billy said. "Good luck."

"Likewise," Nuala said. She stepped back and watched as they teleported out. Once they were gone, Nuala turned to Alpha. "Can you contact the others for me?" she asked.

"You got it, Nuala," Alpha nodded.

No sooner had Alpha teleported the others to the command centre, did the questions start. Nuala could understand the team's confusion. It wasn't every day your two good friends started acting weird, and then when you're suddenly summoned to an intergalactic space chamber it was only natural for fear to set in.

"Where are Billy and Zack?" Trini asked.

"They're working on a device to combat Zedd's latest monster," Nuala said, pointing at the viewing globe.

"Ick," Kim grimaced. "What is that thing?"

"The Saliguana."

"Nice," Tommy said.

"Are they still acting weird?" Jason asked.

Nuala nodded. "But there is a reasonable explanation for it," she explained.

"Oh yeah, and what's that?"

"We believe that Zedd is making them see us as Putties," said Nuala. "Almost like they've got putty on the brain."

"Oh, that's bad news, man," Tommy said, sympathetically.

"Oh, please, you mean I look like a Putty? Gross!" Kim said, looking down at herself.

Nuala smiled cautiously and nodded. "Yeah, sorry Kim," she apologized.

"So what do we do?" Jason asked.

"Alpha is working on finding a solution," Nuala said. "Billy and Zack are working on the device. Until either one is complete, the only thing we _can_ do is wait."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Close to an hour later there was no word from either Alpha or Billy stating that they were any closer to finding an answer. The rest of the team had become restless, and were strewn around the command centre trying to figure out a way to help their friends.

"So, if we go into battle then all Billy and Zack will see are Putties?" Trini asked. She hadn't been there earlier that morning, so she was still catching up on the day's events.

"As far as we know, yeah," Kim said.

Nuala shrugged. "We're not sure if the spell works when we're in Ranger form," she said. "We didn't think to give it a shot, to be honest."

"Don't you think we should try?" Trini asked. "At least it'll be a step in the right direction."

"And if it fails?" Kim asked.

"Then we'll know the strength of the spell."

Nuala looked considerate. "She's right," she agreed. "We have to try. If we are sent into battle, at least Billy and Zack will be seeing straight."

Jason nodded and patted Nuala on the shoulder. "You seem to have taken lead on this one," he said. "I think you should be the one to test the theory out."

"Wait, what?" Nuala asked.

"Well, Zack and Billy came to find you, and then you brought them here," Jason said. "You can run lead on this one."

"Actually, I think they meant to come find all of us," Nuala said. "They just found me first."

"But you still took over in my absence," Jason said, smirking. "Go on. Follow it through."

Nuala gulped and then sighed. "Fine," she said, touching her communicator and teleporting out.

The others chuckled as she left. They had to admit that it was nice seeing Nuala take so strongly to something. They'd always known her heart was in the right place, and she was a little helper, but they'd never seen her actually take the lead on a ranger related case before.

"Anything yet, Alpha?" Trini asked, spotting the robot on the other side of the command centre.

"I may have found the problem," Alpha said. "Now to figure out the solution."

"Keep trying, Alpha," Jason said.

Alpha nodded and went back to his work station.

Kim bit her lip and looked around at her friends. "They're going to be OK, right?" she asked.

"They'll be fine," Tommy promised her. "You'll see."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Billy looked up as a silver streak distinguished part of the dull light in his garage. He was surprised when a putty stepped out, but new from the teleportation colour that it had to be Nuala. "We haven't finished yet," he told her.

"Oh, I know," Nuala said.

"How's Alpha doing?" Zack asked.

"He hadn't found the problem when I left," Nuala said. "I don't know about now."

"What if he can't find a solution?"

"Aw, come on, Zack, don't think like that," Nuala said. "We'll figure this out. We always do."

Zack sighed and nodded. "You're right," he said. "Sorry."

"Don't apologise to me," Nuala said, shaking her head. "Anyway, Jason sent me down to try something. We all now know that you see us as putties in civilian form; we want to know if the spell is strong enough to carry over into Ranger form too. So, I'm gonna morph, OK?"

"Sure. Anything's worth a try," Billy agreed.

Nuala nodded once. "OK. I hope this works," she said, reaching for her power coin. "Dire Wolf! How do I look?"

"You look like the silver Ranger," Zack grinned, happy that something had gone right for a change.

"Affirmative."

"Yes," Nuala said, smiling. She lifted her wrist and contacted the command centre. "Guys, good news, as long as we're morphed, Zedd's spell doesn't work."

"_Great. Good work, Nuala_," Jason replied. "_How's the device coming along?_"

Nuala looked up at Billy and Zack,

"We need one more competent," Billy replied. "Then we should be all set."

"Did you hear that?"

"_Yeah. I heard,_" Jason replied. "_Listen, Alpha says he's found the problem. He's looking for the solution as we speak._"

"Here's hoping he finds something," Nuala said.

"_You and me both, Nuala,_" Jason said. "_We'll call if there's trouble._"

"Got it."

The connection had barely closed when the sound of a siren echoed over the comms link.

"You just had to say it, Jase," Nuala groaned. "What's happening?"

"_The Saliguana has begun its attack._"

"Where is it?" Zack asked.

"_On the beach outside of Angel Grove. Meet us there._"

"Got it," Nuala said, closing the link. "Come on, you guys."

"But my Ice Device," Billy said. "We haven't tested it yet."

"We'll have to go with it as is," Nuala said. "There's no time for a test drive. Throw an extra computer chip in your pocket and let's go." She touched her belt and disappeared.

Billy sighed and looked across at Zack.

The black Ranger shrugged and removed the ice device from its mantle. "Ready?"

"Ready," Billy said, grabbing an extra computer chip.

"It's Morphin' time - Mastodon!"

"Triceratops!"

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Arriving on the beach at the same time as Jason, Kim and Trini, Nuala flipped into view and landed amongst a group of swarming putties. She grabbed one by the arm, ducked down and flipped it over her shoulder, before sweeping the feet out from underneath several more. Her fighting skills had grown considerably since she had become a Ranger, and although she was only supposed to use them for self-defense didn't stop her from training with them alongside Jason.

'If you don't use it, you lose it' at least that is what her father always used to say. It was one thing to gain a skill, it was another thing all together to keep it, and while fighting was more a way of life than any other skill and the idea of losing the ability to fight never proven, didn't mean it couldn't happen.

"Look out, Nuala!" Jason shouted from his vantage point. He had jumped up to survey the area and check on the rest of his team when he had noticed Nuala become cornered by the Saliguana and its putties.

Nuala spun around and gasped. She threw herself to the side as the Saliguana breathed out its fire breath, narrowly missing her as she ducked behind a stone formation.

"Nuala, you all right?" Jason called.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Nuala replied back. "It didn't touch me."

"We'll see about that," the Saliguana said, taking a deep breathing and aiming its jaws at Nuala again.

The silver Ranger grunted as someone collided with her. She looked up, after she had stopped rolling away, to see it had been Billy who had come to her rescue. He and Zack took a protective stand in front of her and held up the ice device to the monster.

"Thanks guys," Nuala said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Are you OK?" Zack asked.

Nuala nodded and scrambled to her feet.

"I'll finish you all off!" the Saliguana roared, charging the three Rangers. Zack reacted first, spinning around and kicking the monster away from him and his friends. The monster stumbled back and Zack lunged forward, kicking up and hitting the lizard in the snout.

The Saliguana growled and glared at the black Ranger. "You'll pay for that," he snarled.

"Zack, be careful," Billy warned. "He could turn up the heat and barbecue you anytime he wants."

"Ah, this guy is nothing," Zack said.

"Nothing? I'll show you nothing," the monster yelled. "Here's a very hot something." He covered his jaws with his hands and then breathed hot flames at the black Ranger.

"Zack!" Nuala shouted, running forward with Billy. The black Ranger rolled backwards and jumped back to his feet. "You got him spitting mad!"

"Then I guess it is time to break out the extinguisher," Zack said, pulling out the ice device. "This should cool you down." He pointed the device at the monster and turned it on. The monster chuckled darkly and opened fire again, and almost burned the Rangers as the device failed to work.

Nuala covered her head and face with her arms as the heat grew more intense. She was blown off of her feet, and landed near the water's edge as Billy and Zack hit the ground not that far away from her.

"What happened?" Zack asked. "Why didn't it work?"

"I don't know," Billy replied. He glanced back at Nuala; she was nursing a couple of burned holes in her suit and looked weakened by the attack. He didn't want to put her in the path of any more flames, much less attacks, and therefore turned to Zack. It was now down to them to destroy the monster. "Try and figure out what's wrong," he said. "I'll distract him."

He scrambled to his feet and jumped forward, taking on the monster alone.

"Billy! Be careful!" Nuala shouted.

Hearing her voice, Billy blocked a punch from the monster and kicked up at its stomach. The monster laughed and shoved Billy away, slashing at him with his claws. He grabbed the blue Ranger buy the shoulders and tossed him aside like a rag doll.

"Ow, my head," Billy groaned, grabbing his head as he rolled in the sand.

"Now, I've got you," the monster said, reaching down and grabbing the blue Ranger in its claws.

"I'm coming, Billy!" Zack shouted, launching himself at the monster. He flipped over in the air and kicked the monster in the head, knocking it away from the blue Ranger.

With the monster away for a while, Billy turned to Zack. "I think I know what's wrong," he said, holding the extra computer chip. "We designed it with a backflow inhibitor."

"What are saying?" Zack asked.

"That the extra computer chip we brought should fit right here," Billy said, slotting the chip into place. "It's essential for the device to work. Here, now give it a go."

"You two are history," the Saliguana yelled, rounding back on the blue and black Rangers.

"I'm gonna check on Nuala," Billy said. "You'll be all right?"

Zack nodded. "Yeah. Make sure she's OK," he said.

"All right," Billy said, running over to where Nuala had managed to sit up. She winched as she put pressure on her arms and Billy noticed blistered skin beneath her suit. "That looks painful," he said, placing his arm around her waist and helping her up.

Nuala smiled and straightened up. "I've had worse," she said. "They're only minor burns. They'll heal with no problems."

"Are you sure you're OK?" Billy asked.

"Yeah. Although I think the nurses at the hospital are going to think I'm a rather clumsy girl," Nuala said, teasingly.

"Well, I know different," Billy said.

Nuala smiled. "Thanks, Billy," she said. "How'd the device work out?"

Billy pointed to where Zack was dealing with the monster. For every spurt of fire the Saliguana threw at the black Ranger, Zack counteracted it with a spurt of frozen air. Soon the fire disappeared and the monster left frozen.

"Hey, you guys alright?" Jason asked, running over.

"Yeah, but you guys missed all the fun," Zack said. "Billy got hit in the head and Nuala's got a few burns, but I think they're alright."

"We're fine," Billy said, approaching with Nuala.

"Alright, Power Rangers," said Jason facing the frozen lizard. "Let's bring them together and finish this."

The others nodded and summoned their primary weapons.

"Fire!" the team commanded, hitting the monster with six solitary beams of light. The lizard exploded into tiny shards of ice.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

After the battle all the Rangers, save for Zack, Billy and Nuala, returned to the command centre to see if Alpha had figured out a solution to Zack and Billy's vision problems, but also to get Tommy who had been unable to attend the fight due to his rapidly weakening powers.

"Well, our physics demonstration is next," Billy said, as he waited patiently in the physics lab with Zack and Nuala. "I wish the others would get back with our glasses class is about to begin."

"There they are," Nuala said pointing to the door as the others arrived.

"I guess it's true," Zack said. "You can't always go by appearance."

Nuala smiled lightly and Billy nodded in agreement.

"Hey, guys," Kim greeted as she reached her friends first.

"Did Alpha find the solution?" Nuala asked.

"Yeah. The spell was embedded in the glasses just like predicted," Jason said, passing Billy and Zack their shades. "So he soaked them in a special energy beam. It should deactivate."

The two hesitated and slowly put the glasses on. There was a spark of red and the others exchanged nervous looks.

"So, did it work?" Jason asked.

Zack laughed and looked back at Billy. "Yeah," he said high-fiving Jason and Tommy.

"Alright," Tommy said, reaching across to high-five Billy.

Suddenly a scream of "Iguana!" from the back of the room interrupted the celebrations and the team turned to find Bulk and Skull on their hands and knees with an iguana.

"What are they doing?" Trini asked. "That's Ms. Appleby's Iguana."

"I think... they're letting it go," Kim said, unsure of the situation.

The Iguana crept along the floor and over another girl's foot. She shrieked, flew out of her chair and run towards the nearest exit. Her shriek set off the rest of the class, save for the Rangers, and caused Bulk and Skull to laugh in amusement.

"Bulk, Skull, put the Iguana away, boys," Ms. Appleby said as she arrived in the room.

Bulk shrugged and picked up the lizard, putting it down on his shoulder as he approached the front of the class.

"Now we'll never know if the Power Rangers were in here or not," Skull said, following after his friend.

The team paused and exchanged looks. Jason was the first to react and chuckled deeply, setting off the rest of his friends as a chain reaction.

Amidst the amusement, Nuala leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Billy's cheek. "I'm glad your vision's back to normal," she said.

"Yeah, me too," Billy said, grinning and fighting back a warm blush.

The Rangers laughter ceased as they all exchanged knowing looks and smirks.

"Hey," Zack said, looking at Nuala. "Aren't you happy my vision's back now too?" He tapped his cheek, smiling cheekily.

The others chuckled again as Nuala scrunched up her face and shook her head, teasingly, at the black Ranger.

* * *

><p><strong>Copyrighted ©<strong>

**Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx**

**Chapter updated 27 January, 2015 at 01:16am  
><strong>


	5. A Stressing Situation

**Author's Note:** For those of you who like the Tommy/Nuala brother/sister relationship, I hope you enjoy this chapter. There aren't many scenes between the silver and green rangers, but the intentions are there.

**Dedications:** Chapter dedicted to the following:** Pink Ranger 13, Devildog452, PrettyRecklessLaura, Just2aw3s0me, HarryPotter4Life24** and **VD and Originals lover 1990** for adding this story and/or me to their alerts. Appreciate it.

**Rating:** T for safety.

_I don't own Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. But I do own any original characters that are of my own creation._

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Raising the Stakes

**Summary: **After Lord Zedd arrives on the moon to complete the task that Rita has failed to do, the Rangers must take on new Thunderzords in order to battle him. Unfortunately with three Rangers leaving, a new power source is needed in order to keep the team from collapsing.

* * *

><p>Nuala looked up from her notebook as the bell rang, signaling the end of another period. School had been relatively slow that morning and the silver Ranger was glad that the last period was over. <em>Only a few more hours,<em> she thought, packing away her things.

"Just a friendly reminder, class, that you're five hundred word essays are due in on Friday," Ms. Appleby said as her students started to file out of the class. She passed each of them an assignment sheet as they bypassed her desk and headed for the door. "Miss Archer," she said, stopping Nuala. "Are you feeling OK?"

Nuala smiled and nodded, looking up from her assignment to meet her teacher's eye. "Yeah, Ms. Appleby, I'm OK," she replied.

"If you feel that you may need extra time, don't hesitate to ask, alright?"

"I won't," Nuala said, smiling. She folded her assignment and headed for the door, as Ms. Appleby stopped Bulk and Skull as they tried to leave without their homework notes. The silver Ranger smiled briefly as the door closed with a snap behind her, and she eased her way through the crowd, heading towards her locker, her attention on her assignment.

Zack looked up as Nuala approached him. He was leaning against his locker with the others, watching as the red-head absorbed herself into her work. "OK, that's new," he commented as Nuala stopped in front of her locker, without even looking up.

Nuala frowned and raised her head. "Huh - what?" she asked, blinking.

"How do you manage to maneuver this school without even looking?" Zack asked, folding his arms.

"I thought everyone could do that," Nuala said, looking from each friend to the next.

"Nope. Only you seemed to be able to," Jason said.

Nuala nodded once, looking uncertain.

"Hey, are you OK?" Trini asked. "You're looking a little... strained."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Nuala said, forcing a smile.

"Are you sure?" Kim asked.

"Mhm," Nuala nodded. She opened her locker and put away her Maths and History books. She had a couple of hours before her next two classes, and she wanted to get as far ahead with her latest assignments before more were added to her list.

The team exchanged uneasy looks behind Nuala's back. There was obviously something up with the silver Ranger - something that she didn't want to talk about or reveal just yet. But their concern for her well-being was something that always lingered in the back of their minds.

"We're heading over to Ernie's," Jason said. "You wanna join us or are you going home again?"

"Sure. I'll join. Mum said she can handle Ellis until I get home."

"What about Ciaran?" Zack asked.

Nuala checked her wrist watch. "He should be out in ten minutes," she said. "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't turn you down if you asked."

"Cool," Zack said. "Why don't you head on over with Billy and Trini, and we'll catch up?"

"OK," Nuala said. She closed her locker and left the hall with the yellow and blue Rangers. Just as she disappeared from view, Nuala stopped to adjust her backpack on her shoulder, and clutch her English binder - which was full of notes - to her chest.

Once the three of them had gone, Jason turned to the others. "Something is definitely up with Nuala," he said. "We need to find out what."

"I can stop by her place on my way to the library," Tommy said. "I have to start this English assignment or I'm never going to get it done."

"Alright, cool," Jason said. "Zack and I'll talk to Ciaran. Maybe he knows something."

Kim nodded and waited for the red and black Rangers to leave before turning her attention to Tommy. "Do you need help on your assignment?" she asked. "I'm partially finished. I don't mind helping out a friend."

"Thanks, Kim," Tommy said with a smile.

"No problem."

The two left the hall, just as Bulk and Skull rounded the corner. Neither one of them looked pleased, and Skull kept grumbling something about Nuala and how she managed to get an extension on her assignments while they, and the rest of the class, were stuck with Friday's deadline.

"It's because she's a mother, idiot," Bulk said, silencing Skull.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

"And it's capable of scrambling electronic signals up to 20 feet away," Billy explained to Trini and Nuala as they sat at their usual table inside Ernie's youth centre. Unfortunately for him, it seemed only Trini was paying attention. Nuala had her head down and was scribbling, rather quickly, into her notebook. "Now, if I could just build a bigger one, it could help us against Lord Zedd."

"Wow. That's terrific," Trini said, leaning across the table and picking up the device. "What do you think, Nuala?"

Nuala paused and looked up. "Oh, sorry guys, I must've zoned out then," she said.

"Are you 100% sure you're OK?" Trini asked. "You can tell us if you're not."

"Yeah, I'm positive," Nuala said.

"We're not convinced, Nuala."

"Why not?"

"Because you seem... distant."

Nuala smiled, patiently, and sighed. "I just... got too much work to do, that's all," she said. "I'm struggling to find a way to juggle it all."

"Have you talked to Caplan?" Trini asked. "I'm sure he'd be willing to give you an extension."

"He already has," Nuala said. "But that's not entirely what I meant."

"Then, what do you mean?" Billy asked.

Nuala glanced his way and tried to find the right words to reply.

Ever since she had come to Angel Grove and become a Power Ranger she had struggled with her everyday responsibilities. She was still finding a balance in being a mother and a student, and then she needed to balance being a mother, a student and a friend, and now she needed to find balance between all that _and_ being a Power Ranger.

Thankfully - or unthankfully, depending on your point of view - the arrival of Jason, Zack and Ciaran saved Nuala from replying.

"Hey guys," Zack said, dropping into a chair beside Trini. Jason pulled up another and Ciaran slid in between his sister and Trini.

"What's up?" Billy asked.

"Homework," Ciaran said. "Why does History have to be so boring?"

The team chuckled and Nuala rolled her eyes, a small smile escaping onto her lips.

"Hey, where are Tommy and Kim?" Trini asked.

"Tommy's heading to the library," Jason said. "Kim must've gone with him."

"Is Tommy OK?" Ciaran asked. "His head's been in the clouds lately, and this morning he seemed really distant."

Jason glanced sideways at Zack. "Another one," he sighed. He must've missed the signs with Tommy, seeing as he had been so focused on Nuala. Was it possible that Nuala and Tommy's reasons for drifting were the same?

"What do you mean 'another one'?" Ciaran asked.

Zack indicated to Nuala, who had once again been absorbed into her homework.

Ciaran frowned and turned to look at his sister. He leaned his head in close to hers, cocked it to the side and lay against her forearm. He lifted his gaze, peering at her through the dim lighting.

Nuala's eyes flickered away from her homework and met his. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. No words were spoken between the two siblings, but each seemed to communicate without words.

Soon Ciaran withdrew and lay his head against Nuala's shoulder, his lips inches away from her ear. He whispered something, something the other Rangers missed, and Nuala shoulder's shook. The team frowned, unsure of whether or not Nuala was crying or laughing.

"What are you, telepathic or something?" Zack asked as Ciaran finally moved away from his sister completely.

"Nah. I'm just reminding her that she's a good person and that she can't take on the world, no matter how much she tries," Ciaran explained.

"What do you mean?" Billy asked.

"Even before she had Ellis, Nuala used to try and take on too much that she would work herself up," Ciaran explained. "Too much homework, too many chores, and she'd end up working herself into a rut that she can't get out of. I'm just reminding her that, despite being a Ranger, she doesn't need to be a super _super_ hero."

Trini reached across the table and squeezed Nuala's hand. "Is that true?" she asked, softly.

"Partly," Nuala replied, lifting her head. She dropped her pen and looked around at her friends.

"There's more?" Zack asked. "I'm exhausted already just thinking about the work you're taking on. What more could you possibly do to yourself that would burn you out?"

"I talked to Tommy last night," Nuala replied. "He's having dreams again. Dreams about -" She was interrupted by Bulk and Skull, both of whom had arrived with some weird device that was making strange noises every time it grew closer to the Rangers.

"Are you sure we're gonna find the Power Rangers' secret identities with that thing?" Skull asked.

Trini cleared her throat. "Here comes trouble," she said, leaning back in her seat.

"Of course we are, you dolt," Bulk snapped. "I got it at the spy shop, man. You know, it measures high energy levels... like a radar detector." He tapped at a few of the keys on the device, and grinned. "The Power Rangers gotta be loaded with energy, and this thing is gonna help us find them."

The device started to beep rapidly, as the dial at the top spun crazily.

"Oh, Bulky, what's going on?" Skull asked, nervously.

"It's the Rangers," Bulk said. "They've gotta be around here somewhere."

From the corner of his eye, Ciaran saw Billy lifting his own device. He hit one of the buttons on the handheld, and pointed the antenna at Bulk and Skull, before moving it towards another part of the centre.

"Gather around, everyone, we are about to find out who the Power Rangers really are," Bulk shouted. He and Skull followed the signal, stopping behind Ernie.

"Ernie?" Skull frowned.

With a yell, Ernie jumped around and held up his fists. Laughter echoed around the centre, leaving Bulk and Skull looking rejected.

"I hope you guys didn't spend a lot of money on that thing," Jason said.

Bulk sneered at him and dragged Skull from the centre.

Trini sighed in relief and leaned forward on the table. "That was a close call," she said.

"Now at least I know my scrambling device works," Billy said, proudly.

"Was there really any doubt, Billy?" Nuala asked. "All your devices work."

Billy smiled and shrugged. "Everything needs a test run," he said.

Nuala returned his smile and looked away.

"Nuala, you were saying about Tommy," Jason said. "What's he been dreaming about?"

"There is only one thing that Tommy is worried about these days," Nuala said, "and that's his powers. He keeps dreaming about losing them, sort of like a... vision, you know? Like his subconscious is trying to tell him that he's reaching the end of the green Ranger cycle."

"A Green Dream," Ciaran said, grinning.

The team chuckled, despite the seriousness of the situation.

"And why is this affecting your abilities to function?" Jason asked, curiously.

Nuala shrugged. "I guess I'm just worried about him," she said. "Being a Ranger means a lot to Tommy, and I just don't want him to lose that."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Panicked, Kim rushed into the Youth Centre. She spotted her friends strewn around the room - Jason and Zack were sparring, while Trini was at the bar talking with Ernie, Ciaran was in the corner with his friends, and Billy was sitting with Nuala.

"Guys," Kim called, rushing over the table. Her yelp caught the attention of all of her friends and drew them in. "Guys, Tommy disappeared."

Nuala's head snapped up from her homework. It was the first time all morning that she had looked up faster for. "What do you mean, Kim?" she asked.

"We were walking through the park," Kim said, "and one minute he was there and the next he was gone."

"You don't just disappear into thin air," Ciaran said.

"I know," Kim said.

"Did you try contacting him?" Trini asked, rubbing soothing circles into her best friends back.

Kim nodded. "He didn't answer," she replied.

"Alright. Let's try again," Trini said. She looked to Jason.

The red Ranger nodded and looked around; once he was sure that no one was watching him he lifted his communicator to his lips and called out to Tommy.

"Tommy, do you read me?" he asked.

Suddenly Ciaran frowned and he nodded at something over Kim's shoulder. "Huh, guys?" he asked.

The team turned to see what had caught his attention. Tommy was standing in the doorway, looking around. He spotted them and walked over.

"Tommy?" Kim gasped. "Where'd you go?"

"Oh, sorry, Kim," Tommy apologized. "I just really needed to get to the library before it closed."

"But, you didn't say anything," said Kim. "You just took off."

"Yeah, sorry," Tommy repeated.

Kim frowned and looked back at her friends. Something was off, she could feel it. "Sorry guys," she said, apologizing for causing panic.

"It's OK, Kim," Jason said. "Honest mistake."

Everyone, save for Nuala, nodded in agreement. Meanwhile the silver Ranger was staring at him, a look of mistrust in her eyes, but before she could voice her concerns their morphers beeped, alerting them to Zordon's presence.

Glancing around, Jason made sure that no one was listening in or watching, before lifting the communicator to his lips. "We read you, Zordon," he said.

"_Lord Zedd has created a powerful new monster called Robogoat,_" Zordon replied. "_Prepare to teleport to the command centre for a briefing._"

Nuala groaned quietly and closed her binder. She stuffed it quickly into her backpack and followed the others out of the centre.

"Everyone ready?" Jason asked, looking around. The others nodded. "Alright, Zordon, we're teleporting."

Touching the dials either side of his communicator, Ciaran disappeared along with the Rangers.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

The second they stepped out of their respective teleportation streaks, Trini spotted the problem on the viewing globe. "Guys, look," she said, walking over to the sphere.

"What is that thing?" Kim asked as the creature reflected back at her growled as it stalked around a barren quarry.

"His name is Robogoat," Zordon explained. "He draws his various strengths from mystical and mechanical sources. You must stop him before he reaches Angel Grove."

Tommy smirked in amusement. "Count me in," he said, cracking his knuckles.

"No way, Tommy," Kim said. "You have to conserve your powers."

"We may need to rely on you for a bigger battle later on," Jason added.

Tommy glanced down. "Wait a minute," he said, lifting his head and turning to Zordon. "What about the sword of power? Maybe that will give me enough energy to sustain me through the fight."

"It just might work," Billy agreed.

"It's worth a try, Rangers," Zordon said, nodding.

Gathering in a tight circle, the Rangers held their hands out in front of themselves, one above the other, and called forth the sword. Their hands glowed their respective colours as coloured orbs molded together to form the weapon. It appeared in Tommy's hands, and the moment it did, Tommy turned.

"Hey, man?" Zack asked jumping back as Tommy brandished the sword at him.

"You fools," Tommy said, laughing. "Your hours are numbered, Power Rangers." He turned the sword in his hand and disappeared in a red flash.

Jason clenched his jaw and leaned against the console. None of the rangers could believe that Tommy had turned against them again, but Jason was having the hardest time believing it. He was the red Ranger; he should've seen Tommy's betrayal coming.

"I can't believe this is happening again," Kim said, running a hand through her hair.

Half-glancing at the pink Ranger, Nuala put her hand on Jason's forearm and smiled half-heartedly. "It's not your fault," she told him quietly.

"I should've seen it coming," Jason said.

"None of us saw it coming."

"Yes, but I should've," Jason said. "He seemed too eager to get back in the fight. Almost like..."

"It was the last fight he'd ever have?" Nuala asked. Without waiting for an answer, she nodded and ploughed on. "Hey, we all may have had our suspicions, especially after he just randomly left Kim hanging at the park, and then reappeared like nothing had even happened. I think it is safe to say that neither of us wanted to admit to the suspicions because we didn't want to be right."

"And now Tommy has the sword of power," Jason said. "Why would he turn against us?"

"I don't think he has," Nuala said, shaking her head. "At least not of his own accord. It's almost like when he first became the green Ranger, he didn't know what he was doing back then, he wasn't in control of his actions."

"You think someone has control of him?" Zack asked, drawing Nuala's attention to him.

The silver Ranger shrugged. "I can't be sure," she said. "But ever since he turned up at the Youth Centre I've had this feeling that something is off. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to be right and Tommy is the last person that I want to speak ill about."

Jason placed his hand on Nuala's shoulder and squeezed it. "It's OK," he said. "No one's blaming you for keeping quiet. But what are we gonna do now? Tommy has the sword of power, there's no telling what he might do with it, or even give it too."

"Then we find Tommy," Nuala insisted. "We save him and get back the sword."

"She's right," Kim agreed. "Tommy would never turn against us, not unless someone told him too."

"We can still save him," Trini said. "We did it before... we can do it again."

"Yeah, man," Zack said. "He's one of us."

"We can't leave him, not when he needs us most," said Billy.

Jason looked from each team-mate to the other, nodded and turned to look up at Zordon. "Is there any way to find him?" he asked.

"I can track his communicator," Alpha said, setting up a search. The Rangers knew that if Tommy was out of radar then the search was going to take forever, but if he was on Earth and within searching distance the results should've been instantaneous.

Although the results didn't come through instantly, they also didn't take hours on end, which meant that Tommy was somewhere on Earth but still out of bounds. "Where is he, Alpha?" Kim asked, nervously biting her fingernail.

"He's out by the mountains," Alpha replied.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Nuala asked, looking up at Jason. "Let's go help him."

Jason nodded and reached behind him for his morpher. "It's morphin' time!" he called out.

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Sabre-Toothed Tiger!"

"Dire Wolf!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Running through the quarry near the mountains, Jason and the other Rangers came across the Robogoat before they could get to Tommy's location.

"_Rangers,_" Zordon's voice echoed over the comms link. "_Tommy is out of Lord Zedd's trance, but his powers are fading fast. You must help him._"

"We're on it, Zordon," Jason said.

"Jason, we need to split up," Zack said. "We can't help Tommy and fight Robogoat."

Jason hesitated. Splitting up had never been an option for the team. They couldn't fight on both battlefronts without needing assistance, and with Tommy being so far away from Robogoat if one team was in trouble, the other would've been too far away to help.

"Alright," Jason caved, realising he had no choice. "Zack, you, Billy and Nuala find Tommy. Kim, Trini and I'll try and get the sword."

"OK!" Nuala, Billy and Zack nodded before taking off around the side of the quarry. They ducked to avoid a blast from Robogoat, one that shattered the side of the mountain just above them and nearly flattened them with the debris that fell. Nuala felt Zack push her forward, and she fell into Billy as he run ahead of her.

Shaking her head, Nuala looked back at Zack. "Thanks," she said, although she didn't appreciate that he had shoved her. She knew that his intentions had been good, and therefore was willing to let him off.

"Come on," Billy said. "We're getting close." He led Nuala and Zack up the side of the mountain, around the ridge, and then down to the edge on the other side. He stopped and checked the coordinates that Zordon had sent him. "He should be right here," he said, looking around.

"Then where is he?" Zack asked.

Nuala peered over the edge and pointed at something in the distance. "Look!" she gasped.

Tommy lay on the stone banking, just beneath the ledge.

"Tommy!" Nuala called. The green Ranger didn't move. "Billy?"

"Come on," Zack said, easing himself over the ridge and dropping down. The floor beneath his feet wasn't solid, but he managed to stable himself and look up at the other two. "Nuala, come on, I'll catch you."

Nuala swallowed and glanced over the side. She wasn't afraid of heights, and the idea of falling had never been an issue for her, but the ground didn't look supportive enough to just fall onto. But she had to help Tommy, and Zack had said he would catch her, didn't he? She trusted him to keep his word.

Closing her eyes, Nuala eased herself over the ledge and jumped down, stumbling into Zack as the ground shifted beneath her feet. She slipped as the small stones started to roll downwards towards the base of the quarry, but she didn't let it deter her once she was safely back on her own two feet.

"Come on, Billy," Zack called, waving the blue Ranger down.

Unlike Nuala, Billy seemed a lot more confident in his decent, and jumped down after her. He landed beside the others and didn't waste any time in chasing Nuala as she sprinted across the uneven ground towards Tommy.

"Tommy. Tommy!" Nuala called, falling to her knees beside her friend. She grabbed his shoulder and shook him. "Tommy, wake up."

"Hold on," Billy said, reaching for either side of Tommy's helmet. He removed it and set it on the ground beside him. Tommy's eyes were closed and he looked to be sleeping peacefully. Removing her own helmet, Nuala rested her ear on Tommy's chest and sighed.

"It's like he is sleeping," Nuala said, looking up. "I don't understand, Billy, why won't he wake up?"

"He must've used a lot of energy," Billy said.

"Then what do we do?"

Billy looked around. "Take him back to the command centre," he instructed. "Hopefully Zordon and Alpha can help him."

"You guys are coming, right?" Nuala asked.

"We'll go help the others," Zack said, handing Nuala Tommy's helmet. "Be careful."

"I'm going back to safety," Nuala said, looking at the black Ranger strangely. "You're the ones running back into battle, and you're telling me to be careful?"

Zack smiled and shook his head. "Fair point," he said. "OK, _we'll_ be careful."

"I'll be watching," Nuala said, grabbing her own helmet and then taking hold of Tommy's wrist. "You better come back safe." She pressed the dial on her communicator and disappeared in a streak of silver as Tommy disappeared in a streak of green.

Once their friends had both disappeared, Billy and Zack returned to the others, to find them victims of Robogoat.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

When Tommy awoke he was surprised to find himself in the command centre. He was still fully morphed, save for his helmet that had been removed. He groaned and tried to sit up, his body felt heavy, so did his head, arms and legs.

"Easy, Tommy," Ciaran said, rushing to the green Ranger's side. "You took a nasty hit out there."

"What happened?" Tommy asked.

"Don't you remember?"

Tommy paused and closed his eyes. Everything flooded back to him - his abduction, him tricking the other Rangers into summoning the sword of power, his battle with Robogoat - after that everything was blurry. He sighed and looked up at Ciaran. "Yeah," he said. "I remember. I remember everything."

"It's not your fault," Ciaran said. "You didn't know what was in store, and the others know that you couldn't fight it, even if you had tried. You're only human, Tommy, and humans make mistakes."

"Where are the others now?" Tommy asked.

Ciaran pointed at the viewing globe. "Nuala brought you back," he said. "She, Billy and Zack found you, so they sent you back. Nuala's only returned to battle because the others needed her to form the Megazord."

There was an explosion from the viewing globe. Both Tommy and Ciaran looked around to see what had happened, and were surprised to find the Megazord on the floor.

"What happened?" Ciaran asked running back over.

"They need help, Tommy, your help." said Zordon.

Tommy looked down at his hands. "My dream," he muttered. "It's coming true."

"It doesn't have too," Ciaran said. "You can choose to change it. You can stay here. The others will figure out another way to stop Robogoat."

"No!" Tommy said, easing himself off of the table. "No. Dream or no dream, my friends need me." He reached for his helmet and put it back on, and then reached for his Dragon dagger. "It's time for one more battle. For old times' sake."

Ciaran smiled and returned his attention to the viewing globe. He now understood why Tommy had been chosen as a Ranger in the first place - he was willing to put his life and the last of his powers on the line to save his friends. He had the true heart of a warrior.

"Wait, Tommy, you must conserve energy," Alpha said. "You're not done recharging after your last battle with Robogoat, if you go out there now then there is a good chance that you won't come back."

"But the others need me," Tommy argued.

"That may be true, Tommy," Ciaran said, looking back at the green Ranger. "But they need you for more than just this battle. Besides, look," he pointed to the sphere over his shoulder. "The others are alright. They managed to redirect some reserved energy; they're back in the fight."

"_Ahhhh!_" Robogoat shouted as he whirled around and exploded.

"Correction," Ciaran said, grinning. "The fight is over. The team won."

Tommy sighed and looked down at his dagger. He was glad the team had won, but he felt guilty for being the person responsible for starting it in the first place.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Later that evening, after the battle and school, Nuala and Ciaran headed home. They were greeted by their mother Lana and baby Ellis; the latter cooed as his own mother scooped him up and hugged him tightly.

"How was your day?" Lana asked.

"Eventful," Ciaran said.

"I saw," Lana said, following her children back into the house. "A Robogoat?"

"How did you see?" Ciaran asked. "They were at the quarry, there were no reporters there."

Lana smiled and patted her son's head. "Don't underestimate the ability of a reporter," she said. "Where there is a story, especially a Ranger story, they'll find a way to get it."

Ciaran quirked an eyebrow and looked across at Nuala. She was sitting on the love seat with Ellis. He smiled, leaned forward and grabbed the remote of the coffee table, but before he could even switch on the TV the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Nuala said, standing up. She balanced Ellis on her hip and walked out of the room. Checking the window beside the door, Nuala smiled and opened it to reveal Tommy standing on the other end. "You look awful," she said, teasingly.

Tommy smiled and tickled Ellis under the chin. "Can we talk?" he asked, pointing over his shoulder. He wanted to talk outside, and not inside where her brother and mother could overhear.

"Sure," Nuala said, stepping across the threshold and closing the door behind her. She sat on the porch swing, with Ellis on her lap as Tommy sat beside her. "How's your essay turning out?" she asked.

"Pretty good," Tommy answered, wringing his hands. "Although, just between us, I'm a little burnt out on short stories."

Nuala smiled and nodded. "Yeah, tell me about it," she agreed. "I'm a little burnt out myself."

"Jason told me that you're taking on too many responsibilities," Tommy said. "You can't do that to yourself, Nuala. This isn't just me speaking as a Ranger, OK? Yeah, if I'm gonna lose my powers the teams gonna be down a ranger, and you're gonna need all the strength you can find, but this is me speaking as a friend. I've seen people end up in hospital for taking on too much."

Nuala sighed and cocked her head to the side. "If I promise to tone it down with my responsibilities," she said. "Will you promise to stop worrying about your powers?"

"I can't, Nuala, losing my powers is different."

"That may be so, but you can burn out from stressing over them too much," Nuala argued. "The last thing the team needs is for either of us to end up in hospital. I'll learn to juggle taking on one thing at a time, or at least prioritizing my work load, if you promise to worry about your powers when the time comes."

"The time has come," Tommy said.

"Alright, but cross bridges when we come to them," Nuala reasoned. "But, please, don't jump the gun. If you're going to lose your powers at some point, please don't stress about it. We'll figure something out, we always do, and besides, we've been through this before... and you came back strong."

Tommy shook his head and took her hand, squeezing it tightly. "Not this time, Nuala," he said. "I'm sorry. I know you don't want me to worry about this, but I can't help it. This time... this time things are different. This is the end. My powers are up, it's just like my dreams were telling me."

Nuala sighed sadly and rested her head against his shoulder. She didn't know what to say, but that even if she did, it wouldn't have mattered.

* * *

><p><strong>Copyrighted ©<strong>

_I apologize for the lack of action. I didn't really want to re-write this chapter, but was told that it was super important in Tommy's green Ranger arc. So I narrowed it down and kept the important parts, but reworked them to fit my own ideas. I hope you still enjoyed it._

**Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx**

**Chapter updated 2nd February, 2015 at 12:42am  
><strong>


	6. A Green Problem, Part I

**Author's Note:** FINALLY! This chapter has taken me all week to finish. It's been a real nightmare. Hopefully the others won't be this difficult. Oh, and more Ellis for those who wanted him back. Sorry he hasn't been around much.

**Rating:** T for safety.

**Dedications:** Thank you to the following: **Likeomgitsthesupernatural, YoshiStack** and **Raepan0**.

_I don't own Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. But I do own any original characters that are of my own creation._

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Raising the Stakes

**Summary: **After Lord Zedd arrives on the moon to complete the task that Rita has failed to do, the Rangers must take on new Thunderzords in order to battle him. Unfortunately with three Rangers leaving, a new power source is needed in order to keep the team from collapsing.

* * *

><p>"Thanks, Mum," Nuala said, withdrawing from the car and straightening up. On her hip she balanced Ellis. It was the end of another school day, and the silver Ranger intended to spend it with her son, brother and friends. It had been a while since the team had been around Ellis, and Nuala knew that Kim was starting to miss him.<p>

"No problem, sweetheart," Lana replied. "I'll see you guys later, OK?"

"What are you going to do, Mum?" Ciaran asked after tossing his backpack into the back of the car.

"I don't know yet," Lana said. "Don't worry about me. I'll think of something. Have fun, OK? And be careful."

"We'll try," Nuala said. She couldn't make the promise that she'd be careful, not with her identity as a Power Ranger anyway.

Lana smiled, nodded once and then drove off. She had only come down to the school to drop her grandson off. The next time she'd see them would be later that evening, maybe earlier if there was a Ranger attack, but then Nuala could always take Ellis and Ciaran to the command centre for protection.

"Can we go find the others now?" Ciaran asked. "I heard Zack's cousin is in town. I'm dying to meet him."

"Sure, let's go," Nuala said, nodding. She hoisted Ellis' baby bag onto her shoulder, balanced her baby on her hip and followed her brother back across the quad. She paused as she climbed the steps, leading to the entrance of the high school, as she saw Tommy playing basketball alone. "Hey, Ci, you go on ahead, OK? I'll catch up." She pointed at the green Ranger.

Ciaran gave Nuala a thumbs up and disappeared into the school.

Clutching Ellis tightly, Nuala made her way over to the side car park and smiled as Tommy looked up at her.

"How you holding up?" she asked, shifting Ellis weight slightly to the left, and touching Tommy's shoulder with her hand.

"I've been better," Tommy said, stroking Ellis' cheek. "The results of the bioscan Alpha ran on me come in tomorrow."

"Well, maybe Zordon can find a way to increase your powers," Nuala suggested. "He's done it before."

"I don't know, Nuala," Tommy said, shaking his head. "I guess I just don't want to get my hopes up, you know? I mean, Lord Zedd's been after me ever since he took over Rita's place, and he's not stopping till I'm stripped of all my powers."

Nuala sighed. She didn't know what to say. Normally at times of desperate need she had something compassionate or kind-hearted to lift the mood of her friends, but for the first time, in a long time, she was lost for words. "Tommy, I -" she started to say, but cut off as streaks of lightning hit the ground all around them.

Frightened by the flashing lights, Ellis started to cry.

"Hey, shh, it's alright," Nuala said, swaying back and forth as she tried to soothe her son.

With Nuala's attention divided, Tommy looked around for the source of the lightning strike and found a holographic vision of himself standing a few meters away. He glanced at Nuala, she still hadn't noticed, and then walked closing to the hologram.

"What's going on?" he asked himself.

"I'm you from... the future..." the hologram answered. "The final battle... remember... 'communicator'... that's all I can tell you. Don't give up. You'll meet... right after." The hologram disappeared, leaving Tommy standing in the carpark with Nuala and Ellis.

As the lightning ceased, Ellis calmed down and Nuala looked around for Tommy. She frowned and approached him, confused on why he had walked away. "Are you OK?" she asked, curiously. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"Not a ghost," Tommy said, shaking his head. "A future version of myself."

"A what?" Nuala asked although she needed no repetition. She had heard him clear as day.

Tommy shrugged and turned back to his friend. "Come on," he said, turning her towards the school. "Maybe Billy will know."

"Or it will psych him out," said Nuala, "and then bum him out because he missed it."

"You know him so well," Tommy chuckled.

"He's my best friend!" Nuala exclaimed. "Next to you, obviously."

"Obviously," Tommy repeated, opening the door for her.

Nuala giggled and passed through into the hall, unaware of the attention she had grabbed from a group of new kids who were watching from the corridor.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Billy looked just as Nuala had described him. He was impressed that Tommy had received some sort of future warning, but also disappointed that he hadn't been able to see it for himself. "And you didn't see it?" he asked the silver Ranger.

"No, Ellis was more freaked out by the lightning that came with it," Nuala said, resting her head on top of her son's.

"Fair point," Billy said.

"Do you have any idea what it could've meant?" Tommy asked.

"Well, it sounds like he appeared through a rip in the space-time continuum," Billy said.

"So, you're saying that a future version of Tommy slipped through a crack in time, to come back here and deliver a warning of an event that has yet to happen?" Nuala asked.

"Yes," Billy nodded. "Exactly."

Nuala looked impressed and turned to Tommy. "Well, it couldn't have been _too_ far into the future," she said. "He was wearing the exact same clothes that you're wearing now."

"True. So, whatever he is warning me about happens today," Tommy said.

"So much for a quiet playdate, huh, baby?" Nuala asked, looking down at her son. "But don't worry," she added, kissing his head, "you get used to Uncle Tommy hogging all the attention."

Billy smiled in amusement as Tommy stared at Nuala, his mouth agape.

"Hey!" Tommy exclaimed. He knew that Nuala was only kidding around, but felt the need to defend himself nonetheless. He hated the attention that he was getting from Lord Zedd, especially since his powers were the expense of that attention.

Nuala grinned, stuck her tongue out at the green Ranger and turned her back on him and Billy. "Come on, let's go find Auntie Kim, she'll smother you with attention."

"If I had my way, he'd have all the attention," Tommy defended, following after her. He poked her in her sides and Nuala squeaked as she jumped in response, a giggle escaped her lips and she lightly shoved Tommy away from her.

Billy shook his head and followed them.

"You're damn right he would," Nuala said. "He's too cute to go unnoticed."

"Oh, trust me, he'll never go unnoticed," Tommy said. "Right, Billy?"

"Right," Billy agreed.

Nuala smiled at the blue Ranger as she took his hand and squeezed it, although she continued to hold it as they turned the corner to find Zack, Ciaran, Richie and a new kid who struck a close resemblance to Zack.

Ciaran looked up and spotted them first. "Hey, guys," he said, excitedly. "Just in time."

"Curtis, these are a few of my friends," Zack said, pointing at each ranger as he introduced them. "Billy, Nuala and Tommy," he pointed last at Ellis, "and this little guy is Tiger Toes, more commonly known as Ellis. He's Nuala's little 'un. Guys, this is my cousin Curtis. He just moved here."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Curtis," Billy said, shaking hands with him.

"Yeah, man, likewise," Curtis said, shaking hands with Tommy too. He then looked to Nuala. "Your... child?" he asked, hoping he had heard Zack right.

Nuala smiled. "I get that a lot," she said, amused by his disbelief.

"He's cute." Curtis said.

"Thanks," Nuala replied, grinning up at Tommy. "Ellis reigns supreme," she teased.

Tommy rolled his eyes, whilst the others, except for Billy, looked lost and confused.

"What's going on?" Ciaran asked.

"A minor battle for attention," Billy said, explaining briefly about the previous conversation. He left out major bits, for the sake of the Ranger's identities with Richie and Curtis, but left in the important information about the minor battle between Nuala and Tommy. By the time he had finished, Curtis, Zack, Ciaran and Richie were clued in.

Richie laughed lightly and patted Tommy's shoulder. "Give it up, dude," he said, teasingly. "You automatically lose when a there is a baby involved."

"Yeah, man, this little guy won the moment he was born," Curtis said, stroking his finger across the curve of Ellis' face. The little boy shied away into his mother's shoulder. Curtis chuckled. "Anyway, it was great meeting you guys, I hope to see more of you, but I'm starved, how about we grab that lunch now?" he asked Richie.

"Let's go," Richie said. "See ya, guys."

"Bye," the team said, waving the two of them off.

Once both Richie and Curtis were out of sight, Nuala, Tommy and Billy explained to Zack and Ciaran what had happened outside with the futuristic holographic image. To say they were confused by the end of the conversation would've been an understatement, but before they could voice their concerns, a new, unfamiliar, voice joined them.

"Well, what do we have here?"

"Hey!" Nuala said, turning around as she felt someone rip Ellis' baby bag from her shoulder. She stopped as she came face-to-face with a dark-haired, light skinned teenager in a ripped red shirt and denim jeans. He was much taller than her, and glared down at her with dark eyes.

"What?" the new kid asked. He laughed and passed the bag to the girl beside him. She had long blonde hair, most of which was hidden beneath a pink beanie hat. Although the bag held nothing of real importance but it was still her property and held most of the essential things that she used on or for Ellis.

"How cute," the girl in the pink beanie said, reaching into the bag and pulling out a tiger toy. It had been a present for Ellis off of Nuala's grandfather. It was the one toy, out of all his toys, that Ellis cherished more than anything. When he saw it, the baby wanted it, and started to cry when it was denied.

Nuala tried to soothe her son, but nothing would calm him.

"Give it back," Ciaran said, trying to snatch the toy away from new girl. She laughed and tossed it to another boy in the group. He looked just like Billy, but appeared to be a lot meaner than the blue Ranger.

"Hey, he said give it back," Zack said. "Can't you see the baby's upset without it?"

"Does it look like we care about whether the kids upset or not?" the bully in blue asked, tossing the teddy to another girl. She had dark skin and long black hair. She caught the toy and quickly passed it to the last person in the group. He was tall, and also had dark-skin. He waved the tiger in Ellis' face and laughed as he pulled it from the baby's reach.

Ellis started to cry louder.

Annoyed by the new teen's attitude towards his friend and her baby, Tommy stepped forward. "You guys are obviously new around here," he said.

"Yeah, we just transferred in," the bully in blue said.

"Then I guess you don't know the rules around here," Tommy said. "But I'm sure you'll learn."

"Actually, I'm used to making the rules where _I_ go," the bully in red said, stepping forward and facing off against Tommy.

"We're sure that's something _you'll_ learn," the bully in black said. He shoved the tiger toy into Tommy's chest and walked away with the rest of his friends. They laughed and high-fived one another as they disappeared, glancing back at the Rangers as they rounded the corner.

Once the bullies were gone, Tommy turned to Nuala and handed her the toy.

"Thanks," Nuala said, using it to soothe her baby's cries. Ellis wrapped a small arm around the plush toy and simmered down as the smooth fur brushed against his skin. The toy meant so much to him, that he hadn't parted with it since he had received it twelve months ago.

Ciaran picked up the baby bag, which had been unceremoniously dumped onto the floor, and started to pack away the things that had fallen out. Thankfully for him, Nuala hardly kept anything jars of baby food in the bag, which meant that nothing had been broken. Any food that was stored in the bag was in sealed containers.

"Is he OK?" Zack asked, looking at Ellis.

"He'll be OK," Nuala said. "No lasting damage."

"Good," Zack said. "What a bunch of punks! I mean whose low enough to pick on a baby?"

"Obviously someone dealing with their own insecurities," Billy said. "Come on, let's find the others and get out of here."

Nuala nodded eager to get away from the school.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Once free from the school's confinements, the team, except for Tommy and Trini, headed over to the lake. Jason and Zack were practicing their karate moves, while Kim, Billy, Nuala and Ciaran were chilling out in the sand.

"And they just teased him with it?" Kim asked, searching the sand for seashells. Nuala and Billy had just finished telling her about the bullies at school.

"Yeah," Nuala said, watching as Ciaran made a sand castle for Ellis, only for the baby to knock it down. Ellis laughed happily as Ciaran pretended to pout. "I'm just glad they gave it back. My granddad got it for him the day he was born, so it's sentimental. If it wasn't, it wouldn't have been much of a big deal; I could've easily got him a new one."

"That's not the point though," Kim said. "The fact that they were low enough to target a baby is cruel. I mean, we've all had our fair share of bullies, but Ellis is only a year old, he shouldn't have to deal with them just yet."

"I hope he never has too," Ciaran said, building a new castle.

"That's wishful thinking, Ci," Nuala said, picking up a small seashell and placing it on top of the newly made structure. It didn't last long as Ellis clamped his hand down on top of it, smashing it to pieces.

"Hey!" Ciaran whined.

Ellis giggled mercilessly.

Nuala smiled and grabbed the baby around the middle. She pulled him onto her lap and tickled his stomach. "Are you teasing uncle Ciaran?" she asked, causing the baby to laugh and tap his hands against the side of her face as she leaned down to kiss his head.

"Mama!" Ellis cooed.

"Oh!" Kim said. "Now that's cute."

"Hey, Kim, check this out," Ciaran called from near the water's edge. He had given up building castles when Nuala had taken Ellis away, and was now digging up a purple and yellow shell from the beach. Kim gasped and crawled over to the fourteen-year-old, leaving Billy with Nuala as she fussed over Ellis.

Ellis giggled as he reached for Billy's glasses. Like any baby he was interested in the things that he couldn't have, and had no intentions of listening to his mother when she said no, but Nuala knew better than to let her son get away with something he wasn't supposed too.

"Ah, Ellis, no," Nuala said, untangling his hand and giving them back to Billy. "Sorry," she apologized.

"It's OK," Billy said, cleaning the glasses and putting them back on. He smiled bashfully as Nuala kissed his cheek.

"You're too sweet," Nuala said. She looked up as a shadow fell over her and felt her heart drop as she saw it was the same group of kids that had terrorized her at school. They sneered at the two rangers, and Nuala instinctively pulled Ellis closer to her.

"Well, what do you know, guys," said the bully in red. "The geek has a crush on the red-head."

The bullies laughed.

"Not just any red-head, Justin," said a sixth voice. The bullies parted and a girl with shoulder-length black hair, dark-skin and dressed in silver, stepped up next to the bully in red. "It's Nuala Archer."

"Are you sure, Nal?" Justin asked.

"I've followed her career for a while to know who she is," Nala nodded. "You're a figure skater," she added to Nuala.

"Apparently so are you," Nuala said, standing up. "Considering figure-skating is the only career I actually had."

Nala smirked and nodded. "When I expressed an interest in figure skating, my parents told me about this Irish teenager that was rising to the top of the International Skating Union faster than Janet Lynn did in 1973. They were very impressed by you... although I fail to see why."

"Hey, what's going on?" Jason asked, walking over with Zack.

"Nothing that concerns you," Justin said, squaring off against Jason.

Nala grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Just having a friendly conversation with Nuala," she told Jason. "Is that a crime now?"

"No," Jason said. "But we don't tolerate you picking on a one-year-old." He added, referring to the incident that had happened at school. Although he hadn't been present at the time, Zack had filled him in on the encounter nonetheless.

"I have no interest in a kid," Nala said. "I just want to make sure that Nuala's aware that there's competition in town. I mean, one can only say first string for so long."

"I haven't been first string for a long time," Nuala said.

"Oh, yeah," Nala said, as if remembering something important. "I read that you had quit."

"I didn't quit," Nuala defended. "I still skate, I just don't compete."

"Well, that's OK too, I guess," Nala said, nodding. "I mean, competing isn't for everyone. It's OK to give it a go and everything, but not everyone is up for being first string, some of us just have to settle for second best."

Ciaran pushed past his sister and glared up at the girl. "Nuala's not second best," he snapped. "If you actually know her, like you claim to, then you'd know that she's been first string for the last seven years. She won her first competition when she was only ten-years-old."

"Ci," Nuala said, tugging at her brother's shoulder.

"Just because some jerk decided to mess around with her and screw up her career, doesn't mean that she's been knocked down from first to second," Ciaran continued. "My sister could go back to skating tomorrow if she wanted too, and everyone would be fighting for her to be on their teams. You're just jealous!"

The bullies laughed

"Is that true, Nuala?" Nala asked. "Do they fight over you?"

"Probably a lot more than they fight over you!" Ciaran said, hotly.

"Ciaran!" Nuala said, pulling him back behind her. Zack put his hands on the fourteen-year-old's shoulders and glared at Justin who had made half a lunge for him.

"Look, I don't know what they do, and nor do I care," Nuala said, standing in front of her brother and blocking him from sight. "Whether you think of me as first string or second best is your choice, and what I do with my career is mine. Just leave us alone."

"Well, you see, we can't actually do that," Justin said, turning his sneer onto Nuala. "We're not just here to make _friendly conversation_ with you, Archer, we're here to make sure you lot understand, loud and clear, that Angel Grove belongs to _us_ now."

The bully in black laughed and leaned forward over Justin's shoulder. "Yeah," he said. "When we're done with you guys, you're going to start seeing things our way."

All of a sudden lightning struck the beach, blowing up puffs of sand. A dust cloud billowed up between the Rangers' and the bullies and when it cleared the bullies were gone.

"Hey, where'd they go?" Kim asked, looking around.

"I don't know," Nuala replied, brushing her hair from her face and turning to Jason. "What's going on?"

Jason shook his head. "No idea," he said.

"We should get to the command centre," Billy suggested. "Hopefully, Zordon will have the answers."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

While the team waited for Trini to arrive at the command centre, Kim approached Nuala and sat beside her. The silver Ranger was playing with Ellis on the floor of the command centre, and hadn't said a word since the bully, Nala, had harassed her about her figure-skating career.

"Are you alright?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Nuala replied without looking up.

"It's OK to be upset about what Nala said," Kim said, drawing her knees in close. "You are a really good figure-skater, Ciaran was probably right when he said that she was just jealous; Nala's probably only just started figure-skating and didn't realise that you don't start off great."

Nuala nodded. "Yeah, probably," she said.

"Then what's the problem?" Kim asked. "You haven't spoken a word since -"

"I know that none of us are born great," Nuala said, finally looking up. "We all have to learn, we all start at the bottom and work our way up. But everyone that I have ever known, everyone that has watched me skate from a young age has said to '_you take to the ice like a fish takes to water'_." She shook her head, and looked back down. "We aren't born great, but some of us are born natural. We don't develop an interest in a sport, we are born to do it. Nala didn't hurt me when she called me second best, she hurt me when she said that I had quit."

"Nuala," Kim sighed. She could understand why something like that would hurt.

"I didn't quit, Kim," Nuala said. "Figure skating is the only thing I am good at, and it was taken away. I'd give anything to be able to go back."

"It's not the only thing," Kim said. "You're a good mother... a good student."

"I have help," Nuala said. "I would never have gotten this far without my Mum. As for being a student? I'm failing more classes now than I ever did when I was in Ireland and pregnant. Figure skating was the one thing I didn't have to worry about failing at."

Kim sighed and glanced across the command centre at Jason and the others. They were all concerned for Nuala, especially since what Nala had said had been downright hurtful. The bully didn't understand half of what Nuala was going through, but had seen fit to try and pull her down some more.

But before anyone could say or do anything to try and buck up the silver Ranger, the alarms blared loudly, alerting them all to a new problem somewhere out in the city.

"Kim, Nuala, we gotta go," Jason said, calling to the two girls'. "One of Zedd's monsters is tearing up the city."

"We're going to need major Zord power to stop him," Zack said, viewing the destruction.

"You can count on me," Tommy said. "As soon as Trini's here, we'll make a plan."

A flicker of yellow appeared beside Ciaran, and Trini materialized in the command centre. She hesitated and then looked around at her friends. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Zedd's at it again," Billy replied.

"Tommy, we can't let you help us," Kim said, as she and Nuala joined the group.

"Kim's right, Tommy," Nuala said. "This is obviously a trap to draw you out. Maybe we should handle it on our own."

"Maybe not, Rangers," Zordon interrupted. "Scanners indicate the creature's name is Turban Shell and his power level is dangerously high."

"You hear that?" Tommy asked. "I'm going with you guys and that's final."

"Tommy, only you can decide your own destiny," Zordon said, talking to the green Ranger.

Kim and Nuala exchanged looks and sighed. Both of them cared a great deal for Tommy, and didn't want him to lose his powers in the middle of a fight, much less at all. But they also knew how stubborn Tommy was, and he'd join them in battle if it meant protecting them from Zedd.

"Good luck, man," Zack said, patting Tommy on the shoulder.

"All right," Jason said. "It's morphin' time."

"Dragonzord."

"Mastodon."

"Pterodactyl."

"Triceratops."

"Sabre-Toothed Tiger."

"Dire Wolf."

"Tyrannosaurus."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Arriving downtown, the Rangers' looked out upon the destruction that Turban Shell had already caused. Sensing their arrival the monster turned in their direction and smiled a hideous smile.

"Ah, Power Rangers," he called, thundering in their direction. "I am happy to see you since I have orders to destroy you, just like this!" He put his fist through a building, shattering it to bits. He laughed and turned back to the Rangers. "You see, you're no match for turban shell."

"This dude's gonna be tougher than we thought," Jason said.

"We're gonna need help," Zack agreed.

"Still not convinced?" Turban Shell asked, unleashing a series of laser beams onto the city. "How about now?"

The Rangers jumped back as debris littered the floor around them.

"Come on guys," Jason said. "We need Dinozord power now!"

The skies darkened and lightning clashed as the Dinozords roared and made their way into the city.

"Mastodon Lion Thunderzords power!"

"Pterodactyl Firebird Thunderzords power!"

"Triceratops Unicorn Thunderzord power!"

"Sabre-Toothed Tiger Griffin Thunderzord power!"

"Dire Wolf Sprite Thunderzord power!"

"Tyrannosaurus Red Dragon Thunderzord power!"

"Zords, combine!" Jason shouted as he, and the others, jumped into their respective Zords cockpits and merged together to form the Megazord.

"Thunder Megazord, Power Up!"

From the ground, Tommy raised his Dragon Dagger and used it to summon the Dragonzord from the sea.

"What do you think you're doing?" Turban Shell demanded as the two Megazords walked towards him. The Thunder Megazord punched its fist at the shell and fired a stream of hot fire at him. Sparks exploded from him and he stumbled back. "You're going to pay for that, power geeks!"

Playing the dragon dagger again, the hazard symbol on the Dragonzord's chest flashed brightly and the dragon stomped forward. Turban Shell yelled and punched the dragon back away from him.

"It is time to finish you off," Turban Shell yelled, rushing forward. "Starting with this..." he pulled out a staff and swung it at the Thunder Megazord. The Megazord swayed and the Rangers toppled over onto one another, before crashing against the consoles as the Megazord hit the ground.

Nuala tensed as she felt herself falling through the air. She landed with a hard thud on the sidewalk, as her friends landed all around her.

"Whoa, everyone all right?" Jason asked.

"What happened?" Nuala asked, taking Billy's hand and standing up. She looked up as Turban Shell towered over them, his staff in his hands.

"What's the matter Power Rangers? Zords run out of gas?" Turban Shell laughed. "Just stay where you are. I'll be back to finish you off."

He stabbed his staff into the ground and disappeared.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

With the monster gone, the Rangers regrouped in the street. Turban Shell had done severe damage already, and the threat of coming back still hung in the air.

"How do we stop him?" Zack asked, approaching the falling Megazord. It had since disengaged and was now lying in six separate pieces rather than one large fighting machine. He put his hand on the side of his lion, and felt it vibrate.

Nuala passed the black Ranger and quickly found her Sprite Zord beside the Unicorn. Zordon had already stated that the Sprite was smaller than the rest of the Thunderzords, but compared to Nuala the Sprite was as big as a bear. She raised her head when Nuala knelt beside her, and the eyes flashed blue.

"Oh, Winter," Nuala said, recognizing the spirit of her Dire Wolf inside the Sprite. She brushed her hand across the surface of the Sprite. "You're going to be OK."

"Hey, you guys, where's Tommy?" Kim asked, noticing the green Ranger was absent.

Jason looked towards the Dragonzord, hoping to see Tommy somewhere nearby. He saw no sign of the green Ranger.

"You don't think his powers have failed him, do you?" Kim asked, worriedly.

"Zordon would've teleported him back to the command centre if that were the case," Billy said. "He would've contacted us to let us know too."

Trini nodded in agreement and put her hand on Kim's shoulder. "We should contact him," she said.

"Right," Kim said, raising her communicator. "Tommy, are you there?"

"_I'm here,_" Tommy said after a brief pause. "_I'm over at the park._"

"We're on our way," Kim said. She closed the connection and turned to Jason.

Jason nodded and looked to Zack and Nuala, both of whom were still beside their Zords. "We'll send them back," he said, drawing the black and silver Rangers away. "We'll send them back to their hangers until we need them again."

Nuala and Zack exchanged looks and nodded.

"OK," they agreed, standing up and joining their friends. With the team together, Jason led them across the city to the park. They found Tommy leaning against the trunk of a tree.

Kim rushed to his side. "Tommy, are you OK?" she asked, leaning him against her.

"I'm OK," Tommy promised. "I'm just feeling a little weak."

"Tommy, maybe you should go back," Nuala suggested.

"No. I think I'm going to stay," Tommy said, pushing away from the tree. He stumbled towards Jason, but disappeared before reaching the red Ranger.

The team gasped and looked around in alarm and surprise.

"Where'd he go?" Kim asked. "Tommy?"

The sound of sinister laughter caught the Ranger's attention. Behind them, fully recharged, was the Turban Shell monster. "Miss me, Power Losers?" he asked.

"What did you do with Tommy?" Jason demanded.

"Play your cards right, Power Rangers, and you may get to see him one final time," Turban Shell said. "Play them wrong, and the six of you will never be seen again... _by anyone._"

He disappeared again, leaving the Rangers completely bewildered.

Zack shook his head. "This day is getting weirder," he said.

"Maybe we should call Zordon," Nuala suggested. "Maybe he and Alpha can trace Tommy."

"It's worth a try," Jason said, nodding. He raised his communicator. "Come in, Zordon."

There was no reply.

"Zordon?" Jason called again.

No reply.

"Something's jamming the communicators," Billy said, playing around with his own.

"I don't believe this," Kim said. "First Tommy, now Zordon? Who's next?"

The skies darkened for a third time that day, and lightning clashed across the clouds. Looking up, the team shielded their visors as streaks of lightning hit the ground around them, herding them closer together. Then there was a flash of white, and the park disappeared.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

When the light cleared the team found themselves in a ravine, blocked on one side by a stone wall, and lush green meadow on the other. They had demorphed during the transportation, and upon closer inspection were trapped inside a force field.

"Where are we?" Kim asked.

Laughter echoed from behind them, causing the Rangers to turn and face Lord Zedd and Goldar. The two were standing at the entrance to a cave.

"Welcome, Rangers," Zedd said. In his hand he was holding a green crystal. "Perhaps you're wondering where you are. Well, you're now in my dimension known as the otherworld."

Reaching behind them, the team searched for their morphers but found that they had been robbed of them, as well as their morphed states.

"I'm afraid that you'll find your morphers are useless here," Zedd said, laughing at the panic rising in their faces, "and Zordon cannot help you either. With this crystal, I have sealed off his precious command centre forever."

The rangers exchanged looks. This day was no longer 'getting weirder' but had turned from 'weird to bad' in one setting.

"And now, dear friends," Zedd continued. "It's time to meet your replacements." He and Goldar stepped aside to reveal six multicolored costumed teenagers marching out of the cavern behind them. "Behold, my Rangers. The Dark Rangers."

Nuala glanced at Zack, as the black Ranger glanced around him, hoping to find a weak spot in the force field. If he could find one, then maybe he could use it to his advantage and exploit it, giving himself and his friends a chance to escape.

"My mortal enemy Zordon chose six teenagers to become Power Rangers and defend the world," Zedd continued, oblivious to the Rangers attempts to escape. He knew there was none. He had won. Victory was his. "I also have chosen six - my Dark Rangers - to destroy it."

"You're evil will never win in the end, Zedd," Trini said, determinedly.

"And who will stop me?" Zedd asked. "Certainly not you, and with Zordon and Alpha trapped inside the command centre they won't be much help either."

Trying to ignore Zedd, Zack set his sights on the Dark Rangers. "You guys don't know what you're doing," he called to them.

"When Zedd is through with you, he'll destroy you too," Jason agreed.

"No one's ever given us a chance like Lord Zedd," said a strikingly familiar voice.

Zack scoffed and folded his arms. "We should've known," he said, shaking his head.

"Is that -?" Kim asked.

"New kid, Zane," Trini nodded.

"Yeah," Justin said. "He's promised us his loyalty."

"The only person Lord Zedd is loyal to is himself," Billy said, trying to get the bullies to reconsider.

"Silence!" Zedd shouted, annoyed by the interference. "I have other matters to attend to... such as watching the destruction of the green Ranger."

"What have you done to him?" Nuala asked. "Where is he?"

"He's somewhere in the otherworld," Zedd replied. "He is powerless now, and of no concern of me, just like the six of you. What you are about to see is my Dark Rangers taking their rightful places. Then they shall begin the destruction of the world!"

* * *

><p><strong>Copyrighted ©<strong>

**Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx**

**Chapter updated 10 February, 2015 at 02:15am  
><strong>


	7. Dealing with a Bully, Part II

**Author's Note:** Sorry for taking forever and a day to update. A lot has happened in the last month or so. I'm dealing with personal issues right now, so writing is sorta taking a back seat drive, and I'm also caught up with work and helping a friend of mine deal with her fanfiction. At the moment she's kind of obssessed with Power Rangers Dino Charge, and struggling to plan her fic based upon the season. But anyway, I have a basic idea for the episodes **White Light** for Nuala, and will be focusing on writing them up tomorrow. Until I can update again, here is another chapter to tire you all over.

**Rating:** T for safety.

_I don't own Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. But I do own any original characters that are of my own creation._

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Raising the Stakes

**Summary: **After Lord Zedd arrives on the moon to complete the task that Rita has failed to do, the Rangers must take on new Thunderzords in order to battle him. Unfortunately with three Rangers leaving, a new power source is needed in order to keep the team from collapsing.

* * *

><p>"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Turban Shell taunted to Tommy as he hid behind a boulder. "Hiding is futile, Ranger, I'll find you sooner or lat -" he cut off as Tommy jumped out from his hiding space, over the rock and kicked him in the chest, knocking him backwards.<p>

Turban Shell groaned as he rolled down the bank and stopped in the meadow below.

"I'm no coward, worm face," Tommy said. "You want me? Come and get me."

"You'll pay for that, you horrible little human," Turban Shell yelled. He grabbed his staff and stabbed it into Tommy's stomach. The green Ranger held on tight as he was lifted off of his feet and thrown through the air. "And that's just for starters. I'm going to perforate you."

Picking himself up, Tommy turned and run in the opposite direction to Turban Shell. He grunted as he tripped, landing in a bed of grass, but completely out of sight.

"Without your powers you don't have a chance against me," Turban Shell said, as he searched for the missing green Ranger. "Why don't you just give it up and come out now? I'll take it easy on you, you have my word."

Shaking his head, Tommy scrambled back across the bed, making sure to keep as low as possible to avoid detection.

"Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum," Turban Shell laughed, stomping across the shoulder of the bed. "I smell something green and dumb."

Reaching out from the bed, Tommy wrapped his arms around Turban Shell's leg and pulled him off of the shoulder. The shell tumbled down the bank and landed on his stomach in the meadow, his staff flew into the air and Tommy caught it with ease.

Annoyed, Turban Shell rolled back to his feet and jumped back up to the top of the bank. He landed in front of Tommy and grabbed his staff, pulling it out of the green Ranger's hands. "Take that!" he said, stabbing the green Ranger in the stomach and sending him rolling down the hill. "You look a little down, Green Ranger, no rest for the doomed."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Ciaran looked up from where he was playing with his nephew. The force field that was trapping them, Alpha and Zordon inside the command centre, had also cut off their communication with the Rangers and outside world.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi!" Alpha fretted as he tried to find a solution. "I still can't break through Lord Zedd's energy field, Zordon."

"We must not allow him to keep us cut off," Zordon replied.

"And there's more bad news," Alpha said.

"I don't think we can deal with more bad news, Alpha," Ciaran said.

"I know, Ciaran," Alpha said. "But this cannot be helped."

"Is it about the Rangers or the energy field?"

"The energy field," Alpha said. "Scanners confirm that it is rapidly compressing."

Ciaran's head snapped up. "Meaning what?" he asked.

"Meaning, if we do not find a way to stop the energy field, the command centre will implode," Zordon explained.

"Implode?" Ciaran yelled. "You mean we're all going to die?"

Unsure of what was going on, but knowing that it couldn't be good if his uncle was shouting, Ellis started to cry loudly. Lowering his voice, Ciaran knelt beside his nephew and gathered him in his arms.

"Hush, Tiger Toes," Ciaran whispered. "It's going to be OK. You'll see Mummy and the Rangers will save us."

"Mama?" Ellis asked through his cries.

Ciaran nodded. "Mama be back soon," he said, kissing his nephews head and hugging him close. "I hope."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Goldar laughed as he crept closer to the Rangers. "Look at you pathetic Rangers," he said. "Please, Master, can I crush them now?"

"Absolutely not," Zedd snapped.

"Oh, please, do not deny me that pleasure, great one," Goldar pleaded.

"Quiet, you fool," Zedd said, silencing Goldar. "They have foiled enough of my plans. I am sending them back to Earth where, without their precious powers they will be forced to stand helplessly by as Turban Shell destroys their city. A fitting punishment. You will suffer the agony of knowing you can do nothing to save Angel Grove."

Goldar laughed as Zedd thrust his Z staff at the Rangers, causing them to disappear and reappear in the park.

"Now what do we do?" Kim asked, looking to Jason for an answer.

The red Ranger lifted his communicator and tried to re-contact Zordon, but there was still no reply.

"We can't just stand here and do nothing," Nuala said.

"We won't," Jason promised. "Billy, is there any way you can unscramble the frequency on the communicators?"

"I might be able too," Billy said. "But everything I need is back at the lab."

"It's our only chance," Zack said. "If Zedd is sending Turban Shell to mess up Angel Grove we don't have much time."

"And we still have to find Tommy," Kim said, looking anxious.

Jason nodded. "Come on then," he said, leading them out of the park.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Tommy breathed heavily as he looked up at Turban Shell. The monster was a lot tougher than any other he and the Ranger's had fought to date. He smelled a lot worse too, but then again, he was a monster created from a sea shell.

"Time to say goodbye, green Ranger," Turban Shell, swinging his staff through the air. There was a flash of fire and Goldar appeared. The golden monkey caught the staff, just before it could strike Tommy, and pushed Turban Shell backwards.

"Stand aside, underling," Goldar ordered. "I shall finish this."

"No way!" Turban Shell yelled. "The green one is mine."

"Obey my order, worm, lest I feed you to the birds," Goldar growled. "Our master has other plans for you. Go."

"Very well," Turban Shell said, before disappearing.

With Turban Shell on his way to Angel Grove, Goldar turned on Tommy. "Greetings, Green Ranger," he said, "or should I just call you Tommy? How does it feel to be stripped of your powers forever?" He laughed. "Are you _green_ with envy?"

Rising to his feet, Tommy circled Goldar as the Monkey general tried to get in closer to him.

"And your humiliation is far from over," Goldar continued. He held out his hand and a device appeared. Tommy didn't recognise it, having never seen anything like it before. "You will soon pledge your allegiance to me."

"No way, Goldar," Tommy said, shaking his head. "I'll never turn on my friends."

"Your friends are no more," Goldar said. "They are finished, powerless and pathetic, just like you." He pressed a button on the side of the device and a viewing window appeared beside him. "See for yourself, green Ranger, do you remember who you are? Where you came from?"

He showed Tommy a series of images of him doing bad things whilst under the control of Rita's green Ranger spell.

"This is who you truly are," Goldar said. "This... abomination," the images changed to show Tommy fighting as the green ranger, but this time _against_ Rita and Lord Zedd, "is unrecognizeable. The green Ranger was Rita's prince of Darkness."

"I'm no Prince of Darkness," Tommy said. "I was never evil, and I won't be again."

"Then you'll never be able to reclaim your legacy, green Ranger," Goldar continued. "Never help your friends, by destroying them. They'll never be free, and it'll be entirely your fault."

Tommy lowered his head and fell to his knees. The others didn't need saving, they had chosen to become Power Rangers; he remembered Nuala telling him that she had once chosen to walk away from being the silver Ranger, but she had changed her mind when her reason to leave was her reason to stay.

She had stayed in order to be able to protect those that needed protecting.

Any one of the others could leave when they wanted too. They weren't obligated to stay as a Ranger, and Zordon most definitely wasn't forcing them. So Goldar was wrong when he said that the others needed saving.

"You're wrong, Goldar," Tommy said, rising to his feet again. "My friends are the true heroes. They will stop you, and they will save?"

"So, the gallant warrior needs saving," Goldar laughed.

Tommy shook his head, ignoring Goldar's words. Everyone needed saving at some point of their lives, and it was a weakness to ask for help.

Nuala had taught him that.

Tommy smiled. Since becoming friends with Nuala, he had learned a lot, and he was thankful to say that her words of wisdom and compassion are what had helped him unlock the true warrior inside him.

"I see you are no longer the great Ranger you once were, Tommy," Goldar said, laughing. "You and your powerful Dragonzord are no more. It is all over... for both of you and your friends won't be too far behind."

"You're wrong, Goldar, we're only as great as we deserve," Tommy said, jumping up and kicking Goldar in the chest. The Monkey General dropped the device and the window of memories disappeared. Rolling across the ground, Tommy grabbed the device and stood up.

The laughter of his last taunt froze on Goldar's face. "No!" he shouted, seeing that the tables had been reversed.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Nuala gently bit her thumb nail as she watched Billy work on descrambling the communicators. "How's it coming, Billy?" she asked, unsure of the progress he was making. She also didn't want to interrupt him, but felt the need to ask seeing as the others should've been on their way back any minute.

"I finally got a break through," Billy answered. "My communicator locked onto the electric force field surrounding the command centre. I just need to input it into the computer."

"So, will it figure out how to dismantle the force field?" Nuala asked.

"Not exactly. But it may tell us how to break through it and establish contact with Zordon."

Nuala sighed and nodded.

As he inputted the data into the computer, Billy glanced at Nuala from the corner of his eye. "How many classes are you failing?" he asked, awkwardly.

"Quite a few," Nuala replied. "Maths and Science mostly. My English and History are not that bad, but there's always room for improvement."

"Have you talked to your Mom?"

Nuala nodded. "She says that if I continue to struggle then we're going to consider homeschooling," she explained, "and yes, this is the downward spiral of taking on too many responsibilities."

"Tommy told us that he had talked to you about that," Billy said.

"Yeah. We made a deal," Nuala replied. "He'd stop worrying about his powers, and I'd stop trying to be supermum."

"You're already a supermum," Billy said. "Without all the extra responsibilities."

Nuala blushed lightly at the compliment and looked up. "Thanks, Billy," she said.

"No problem. Plus, if you need someone to help you study," Billy said. "All you have to do is ask."

Nuala smiled and nodded. "I'll remember that," she said just as a news report from the downtown area of Angel Grove appeared on the TV. "Can you turn that up?" she asked, pointing at the TV.

Billy reached across and turned up the volume, as the news caster's voice became clearer to the two Rangers.

"_Local government sources have confirmed that the creature known as Turban Shell has begun another assault on Angel Grove._"

"Attack of the 90-foot worm," Nuala said with a heavy sigh.

"_The attack, for the moment, is confined to the business district, comes less than 24 hours after its first attack was repulsed by the Power Rangers._"

Nuala lifted her gaze to meet Billy's as Turban Shell continued to destroy the business district.

"_The origins of the monster are a mystery,_" the news caster continued. "_But the main question at the moment is where are the Power Rangers when we need them?_"

Nuala sighed and buried her head in her arms. Now she knew how all those comic book heroes felt when they had to stand idly by and watch their city be destroyed, knowing that there were people out there who needed them, and still not being able to do a damned thing to help.

"Hey, come on," Billy said, tugging her hand away from her face. He had switched off the TV and was now standing in front of her. "We've been in this situation before, and we came back stronger than ever."

"What if we can't come back this time?" Nuala asked. "We have no powers, no Zords. Our mentor is trapped on the other side of a force field along with Alpha, my brother and my baby. We're as much cut off from them as they are from us."

"We just have to have a little faith," Billy said.

"I have faith in you," Nuala said. "I just hope you manage to do it on time."

Billy paused at her words, before turning back to the computer and starting to work. While her faith in the situation may have been dwindling, Nuala's faith in him was still going strong, which meant he needed to work fast to prove that they could come back from this battle.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

After trying to find a way back to the Otherworld in order to find Tommy, Jason, Zack, Trini and Kim headed back to Billy's lab. They rushed in to find Nuala sitting with her hands covering her ears and Billy working at the computer.

"Have you guys seen the news?" Kim asked.

"Yeah," Billy said, stopping the pink Ranger from turning the volume up on the TV. He nodded at Nuala, who was staring aimlessly at the voiceless TV, her hands covering her ears, but her eyes following every step Turban Shell made.

"I'm guessing she's not doing so well, huh?" Jason asked, as Trini and Kim made their way over to Nuala.

"She's losing faith," Billy said. "Combine that with the anxiety and worry that she has for her brother and baby." He sighed and shook his head. "No, she's not doing so well."

"What can we do to help?" Zack asked.

"There's nothing we can do," Billy said. "Other than fix these communicators. I think if she can hear Ciaran's voice, she'll snap out of it."

Jason glanced back at Nuala, Kim and Trini. The pink and yellow Rangers had managed to coax the silver Ranger to remove her hands from her ears and look at them, but Nuala still looked tense and worried about the situation at hand. "Keep working, Billy," he told the blue Ranger. "We've got to get our powers back, before it's too late."

"I'm working as fast as I can."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Goldar growled as Tommy held up the time device. "Give that back to me," he yelled. If Lord Zedd could see him now then he'd be in deep trouble when he got back. This was not part of the plan.

"You're out of your mind if you think I'll do that," Tommy said. "Your little picture show was meant to deter me, make me feel worthless, but all its done is proven that I've got friends that want what's best for me. I won't let you hurt them again. I may not be the green Ranger anymore, but I'm still me."

He held up the device and pointed it at Goldar. He pressed the button on the side several times, hitting Goldar with spurts of flames. Finally the Monkey general disappeared, leaving Tommy alone in the Otherworld.

"Yes! Goldar's gone," Tommy said, looking around. He turned the device over in his hands and then looked down at it. "But how the heck am I going to get out of here? Wait a minute, this thing's some kind of time device," he said, pressing a small round blue button. He looked up as a holographic picture of himself appeared.

"It's a time warp," the hologram said. "I got... message..." he held out his hand, gave Tommy his communicator and then disappeared.

"Yes!" Tommy grinned, clipping the communicator onto his wrist and disappearing, leaving the Otherworld behind.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

After working flat out for nearly an hour, Billy was finally showing some progress in his findings. He blinked and looked away from the screen. His friends were strewn around the room, neither of them was speaking, but all of them were worrying about the city and would occasionally cast a glance at the TV. The volume was still turned off, but Turban Shell continued to cause havoc.

"Hey, I think I might have got something," Billy said, catching everyone's attention. "The computers broken through the force field we should be able to get a visual on the screen." He tapped a few more keys, and waited for the screen to change.

In the meantime, a streak of green landed in the lab, behind Nuala. The silver Ranger turned and sighed in relief as Tommy appeared.

"Thank god you're OK," Nuala said, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

"Tommy!" Kim sighed, hugging him next.

"Man, am I glad to see you guys," Tommy said, pulling away from both girls. "I've got a lot to fill you in on."

"Same here, man," Zack said, bumping fists with the green Ranger.

"_Nuala!_"

Turning to the sound of her name, Nuala gasped as she came face-to-face with her brother on Billy's computer. "Ciaran!" she cried, happy to see that he was OK. "Are you OK?"

"_We won't be, unless you hurry,_" Ciaran said. "_There is literally no time to lose._"

"What are you talking about, Ciaran?" Jason asked.

"_The force field is compressing the command centre,_" Ciaran replied. "_It's only a matter of _time before -"

"What do we need to do?" Billy asked. He knew exactly what would happen if the force field compressed the command centre any more, but he also didn't want to witness a total and complete meltdown from Nuala, losing her powers, Zord and watching the city be destroyed was causing her anxiety levels to rise rapidly, knowing that the command centre was set to implode could very well have pushed her over the edge.

"_Rangers, Zedd's green crystal must be shattered to return things to normal,_" Zordon explained. "_Only a non-Power Ranger may enter Zedd's dimension undetected._"

"That's me," Tommy said.

The team turned swiftly in his direction.

"What, no way, man," Jason said. "It's too dangerous."

"Look, I have a personal score to settle," Tommy said. He looked around at the others, his gaze lingering on Kim and Nuala, and then nodded at the computer screen. "I'm ready," he confirmed.

"_Alpha will teleport you now, Tommy,_" Zordon said.

There as a flicker of green, and Tommy disappeared. He hadn't been gone less than ten minutes when, with a flash of their individual colours, the team's morphers appeared in their hands.

"He did it," Jason said, looking up.

"You doubted me," Tommy said, appearing behind the others.

Jason turned and shook his head. "Not for a second, man," he said, high-fiving his friend.

"You know, after touching that crystal, I feel like I can handle one more fight," Tommy said.

"All right then," Jason said, grinning. "Let's do it - its morphin' time!"

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Once morphed, the team teleported to the business district, and called upon their Zords. Nuala giggled as her Sprite fluttered into view. She looked brighter than she had before, and was more than ready to battle the giant worm. Jumping up into the cockpit of her Zord, Nuala issued the command for the Sprite to join with the Dragon Thunderzord before they combined with the others.

"Thunder Megazord, power ready!" the team shouted once fully assembled.

"Yummy, lunch in a can," Turban Shell said, running forward. "How about a little shell shock?" he asked, jumping into the air and firing several rapid fire lasers at the Megazord. He then withdrew into his shell, and crash-landed against the Megazords chest, knocking it backwards onto the floor and ejecting all the Rangers, save for Nuala and Jason from the inside.

Seeing as this time she was a part of the actual robotic Megazord and not an auxiliary weapon meant that Nuala wasn't ejected when the Megazords armour was destroyed. This also meant that she and Jason were left to face off against Shell Shock whilst the others watched from the ground.

"Ready, Nuala?" Jason asked.

"This thing has kept me from my son and brother for too long," Nuala said, summoning the Megazords primary weapon. "I say it's time for a little shell shock of our own."

"Uh-huh," Turban Shell said, eyeing the weapon. "You shouldn't play with sticks like that." He fired more blasts at the robot as it plunged towards him, waving the staff through the air. One of the lasers hit the hands of robot, knocking the staff from its grip, while two more hit the robot in the chest.

Nuala and Jason cried out as they landed in a heap on the floor. The Sprite and Dragon lay either side of them, disengaged from one another. Jumping to her feet, Nuala rushed to her Zords side, just as her communicator beeped.

"Zordon?"

"_Nuala, the only way to stop this monster is by hitting its inner shell with intense heat, and it's out shell with freezing water,_" Zordon explained. "_Tommy intends to get inside the monster's stomach to attack from the inside; you and your Sprite must be ready to attack from the outside. Can you do that?"_

Nuala looked up at her sprite. It looked worse for wear, but was already fluttering its wings and pushing itself up, ready for another round.

"We're ready, Zordon," Nuala said, nodding at the Sprite and standing up. She waited for the Zord to be in the air before jumping aboard.

"Nuala, wait, what are you doing?!" Jason called from the ground.

"Trust me," Nuala called, fluttering higher into the sky. Turban Shell tried to fire his lasers at her, but being so small meant that the Sprite could easily avoid being hit. Nuala laughed as the shell started to become less impressed and more frustrated as he continued to miss his target.

"Stay still, you annoying pest!" Turban Shell growled.

Smoke started to rise from his stomach, causing him to clutch his belly and keel over. "What's going on inside of me?" he asked. "Whoa! What's happening?" he asked, flailing around as the heat started to get to intense for him.

"Come on, Tommy," Nuala said, fluttering around the shell. She wouldn't hit the outside shell under her friend was clear. If this monster was going to explode, the last thing she wanted was for him to explode with Tommy stuck inside.

"_Do it now, Nuala,_" Zordon encouraged.

"But Tommy's not out!" Nuala argued.

"_Tommy will be fine, I assure you._"

Nuala hesitated, and only proceeded when she heard Ellis calling her name over the intercoms. Her heart ached at the sound of her son's voice and the desire to get back to him urged her to proceed with the plan.

"Time for a cool down," Nuala said, powering up the Sprite's special attack. She pushed forward on her controls as the Sprite extended its arms above its head, and started to spin rapidly like a top. As it spun, a blast of cold water shot out of the sprite, hitting the outer shell of Turban Shell, causing him to freeze over.

"Oh! Just what I needed," Turban Shell groaned, grabbing his head. "An ice-cream headache."

Sparks exploded from all over him, and Tommy ejected from the side. With a cry of surprise the green Ranger landed on the floor at the feet of the other Rangers, while Nuala remained fluttering around in the skies.

"Go on, Nuala," Jason called, as Kim checked on Tommy. "Finish him."

"Yeah, girl, show him how deadly a Sprite can be," Zack said, teasingly.

Nuala laughed lightly from inside her Zord and pulled up further into the air. She hovered over the frozen shell, folded the arms of the Sprite and crossed its legs, whilst the wings beat hard against the surrounding air. As the air grew more intense, the monster was blown off of its feet and shattered into a million tiny pieces as it hit the floor.

"Whoo, yeah!" Trini applauded from the ground.

"Way to go, Nuala," Jason said, watching as the Sprite landed a few feet away and the silver Ranger ejected from inside. She landed in front of the Zord, and run back towards her friends, after sending the Sprite back to the hanger, along with the other Zords.

Standing steadily on his feet, Tommy caught Nuala as she threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. "Haha, I knew you could do it," he praised her.

"I'm just glad you're OK, Tommy," Nuala said, pulling away from the hug. "There was a moment there when I thought we weren't going to make it."

"You and me both," Tommy said. "I guess we just have to remember that as long as we have each other, nothing can defeat us."

"I hear you," Nuala said, smiling and nodding in agreement as he hugged her again.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

With the battle over, their morphers, powers and Zords returned, the Rangers headed back to the Youth Centre, with Nuala making a quick stop at the command centre along the way. The minute she had arrived back, both Ellis and Ciaran threw themselves into her arms and hugged her tightly.

Nuala held onto both her son and brother for as long as possible.

"I thought I was never going to see you again," Ciaran said, wriggling his way out of her embrace. Nuala let him go and used both arms to hug Ellis tightly. She cradled the little boy, one hand on his back and the other on his head as she tried not to hurt him as she squeezed him.

"I owe thanks to Billy for figuring it out and not giving up," Nuala said.

Ciaran nodded and looked up at his sister. He was curious as to whether he should tell her that the command centre was close to imploding, or was it safer to keep the piece of information to himself. If Nuala knew that they were close to death, then she might think twice of leaving them - or bringing them - to the command centre again and, despite nearly dying, Ciaran actually liked the command centre.

"Are you OK?" Nuala asked, noticing the look on her brother's face.

"Yeah," Ciaran said, nodding. "I'm just thinking about what to get at Ernie's. I'm thinking a triple chocolate sundae with everything."

"Sure, if you want to be throwing up all night," Nuala said. "You remember what happened last time you and Zack ate one of those."

Ciaran grinned and disappeared in a flicker of white.

Nuala groaned and looked up at Zordon. "Remind me to confiscate his communicator," she said, before she and Ellis both disappeared.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

They reappeared outside the Youth Centre.

Ciaran laughed as Nuala tried to catch him, but he dove inside the double doors, run along the hall, and disappeared into the juice bar before she could catch him. Nuala followed behind him, finding her brother already with the others when she arrived.

"You got lucky," Nuala said, sitting in a seat beside Billy. "If I didn't have Ellis, I would've beaten you."

Ciaran grinned and childishly stuck his tongue out at his sister.

"Mama!" Ellis said, as Zane, Nala and the rest of the bullies enter the Youth Centre. Nuala wrapped both arms around her baby, and reached into the baby bag that she had also brought from the command centre. She pulled out his tiger toy and offered it to him. Ellis hugged it tightly, hoping that if the bullies saw him with it they wouldn't try to take it again.

Nuala kissed the side of her son's head, and looked around at her friends. "I asked Zordon about Zane and Nala," she said. "He said that they'll return home with absolutely no memories of what happened to them."

"That's a relief," Jason said. "The last thing we needed is them knowing who we really are."

The others nodded.

As the others went back to their sodas, Billy leaned in closer to Nuala. "You feeling OK?" he asked.

"Yeah," Nuala replied with a smile. "I wanted to say thank you."

"For what?"

"For not giving up," Nuala said. "We'd never have made it had you given up trying to contact Zordon. But also for not giving up on me," she added. "I know lately I haven't been... myself, but I would've given up a long time ago had it not been for you. So, thanks."

Billy smiled and waved her off. "We're a team," he said. "We don't give up on each other."

"Right," Nuala said, momentarily hurt but forcing a smile. For a second she had let herself believe that Billy had been helping her because he liked her, but to find out he was doing it simply because they were team-mates made her question his true feelings about her. Unfortunately, before anything further could be said, a familiar voice spoke from behind Nuala.

The silver Ranger turned in her seat and looked up to see Nala standing over her. She had her hands in her pocket, and was looking sheepishly down at the red-head. "I wanted to apologise," Nala said. "What I said before... it was uncalled for. I should never have called you second best. I was angry and upset, but that didn't give me the right to take it out on you. I'm sorry."

Nuala paused, and took Nala's words into consideration. She had been raised to accept an apology, no matter how hurt you had been by the words that deemed an apology necessary. Plus, Nala had stated that she had been upset when she had said what she did, words spoken out of anger were never meant to hurt intentionally.

"Apology accepted," Nuala replied.

"Really?" Nala asked, surprised. "I mean..."

"I'm not one to carry a grudge," Nuala said. "Unless, of course, you deserve it, which you don't. There's only one person I ever hold a grudge too, and he's currently unavailable."

"I was wondering if maybe we could start again," Nala said, holding out her hand. "My name's Nala. This is my step-brother, Justin," she pointed at the bully-in-red, "and my best friends: Kristen, Tina, Zane and Bobby." She pointed at each of the former dark Rangers in turn.

Nuala smiled and glanced at Jason, he nodded and Nuala smiled, setting about introducing everyone to the former bullies. Maybe all they needed were a couple for friends, people to show them that there were others out there that were willing to give them a chance.

"It's nice to meet you, Nala," Nuala said, shaking Nala's hand. "My name's Nuala... and these are my friends: Billy, Trini, Kim, Tommy, Zack and Jason." She pointed at each Ranger in turn, before setting her sights on her brother. "That's Ciaran, my younger brother, and this is Ellis, my son."

* * *

><p><strong>Copyrighted ©<strong>

_Will we meet Nala, Justin, Bobby, Zane, Tina and Kristen again? Maybe we will, maybe we won't. Keep reading to find out._

_**Alerts and favourites are appreciated. Reviews are rewarded.**_

**Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx**

**Chapter updated Sunday 08 March 2015 at 03:48am  
><strong>


	8. Distractions

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, this is the last of the pre-written updates. There'll be no more updates until I can get ahead again. I am in the middle of writing up the White Light arc, and have decided that I will be skipping quite a few filler episodes during the second season. I really want to get to the section where Adam, Rocky and Aisha come in, as that is where most of my ideas are based now.

**Dedications:** Thank you to the following: **Gossermouse101, Thatconsultingfangirl, Williamcornett2** and** Ryuakuma.**

**Rating:** T for safety.

_I don't own Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. But I do own any original characters that are of my own creation._

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Raising the Stakes

**Summary: **After Lord Zedd arrives on the moon to complete the task that Rita has failed to do, the Rangers must take on new Thunderzords in order to battle him. Unfortunately with three Rangers leaving, a new power source is needed in order to keep the team from collapsing.

* * *

><p>Nuala still couldn't believe it.<p>

It had been a year since she had first arrived in Angel Grove and become a Power Ranger, while the others didn't seem like this was that big of a deal, Nuala found it to be an important milestone in her life. Not only had she managed to maintain fighting monsters for 12 months, but she had also managed to make and keep six friends.

Jason, Zack, Trini, Kim, Tommy and Billy had taken her in the first day she arrived in Angel Grove. They didn't know much about her when they had first met her, and she had been secretive when she had first moved in. Over time she had opened up about her past, explaining things that she normally would've wanted to hide, but the team had listened with an open mind and not judged her on events that had been out of her control.

More to the point, they had accepted her life as a single teenage mother without so much as batting an eyelid. Kim had taken to Ellis like a moth to a flame, and Nuala was thankful to have a friend like Kimberly Hart, someone that she knew she could turn to without delay.

Then there was Jason and Zack. Despite them being younger than her, Nuala still saw Jason as a sort of older brother, someone that she could count on to be there for her when she needed him. Zack, was more a friend than anything else, his close friendship had blossomed with Ciaran more than it had Nuala, but he was still prepared to defend her if she needed it.

It was like when Chris had first turned up in Angel Grove. It had been Zack who had immediately jumped to Nuala's defence, and he was still willing to defend her now.

With Trini, Nuala had limited interaction. Trini was Kim's best friend, and therefore a friend of Nuala's. The pair rarely interacted outside of their team, but that didn't make them any less close. When Nuala had needed advice about how to deal with Chris, it had been Trini who had suggested a restraining order.

As for Tommy Oliver. He had come to Angel Grove a few months after Nuala, but she had been the first point of interaction for him. Nuala could remember the day as if it was yesterday, Mr. Caplan had called her out of class and into his office to introduce her to newest new kid at Angel Grove High; he had asked Nuala to help Tommy find his way, despite her still trying to figure it out. Nuala and Tommy had bonded over their similarities - both being new kids - and had fallen in to a sort of comfortable friendship.

Tommy wasn't one to judge anyone on outward appearances, but he had been surprised when Nuala had said she was a mother, although he had accepted once he met Ellis. His promise to Nuala, to always help her when she needed it, was something that Nuala held onto for grim death. Tommy, just like Jason, had been the older brother, despite being younger, that she had always wanted.

Lastly was Billy. When she had first met Billy Cranston, Nuala didn't need much convincing to the fact that Billy was a brainiac, but that didn't stop her from befriending him. He was an outcast, an underdog, one that got picked on by bullies but still managed to stand up for his friends.

Nuala was never a popular person nor was she an outright pretty person. She liked to keep to herself, being very family orientated and her best friend had always been her brother, Ciaran.

Nuala and Billy, while so far apart on the spectrum were also too much alike. They were both easy targets for bullies, both had insecurities that were easy to spot, but both were always ready to stand up and defend their friends, and one another. This was partly why Nuala had subconsciously chosen Billy as her best friend.

They did everything together... well, almost everything.

"Write the expression (x + 5)(x + 2) as a polynomial in standard form," Nuala read aloud before consulting her suggestions beneath the question. She chewed the top of her pen as her heart started to sink.

"How's the studying going?" Billy asked, joining her.

"Badly," Nuala replied. "What's the point of Quadratic Equations anyway? I mean, it's not like I'm going to need any of these."

"Didn't you say that one of your dream jobs was to be a Veterinarian?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, even though it is on animals, it is still a medical profession," Billy explained. "Maths is important in any medical professions."

Nuala sighed and looked back at her work sheet. "I've never been able to understand Maths," she said. "I don't know why, I just... don't get it."

"Let me see if I can help," Billy said, sliding across to sit beside her. He checked over the first few equations she had completed, pointing out several mistakes but also helping her to correct them, and then finally rested on the one she was currently stuck.

"If you don't know the answer, then I officially lose faith in education," Nuala said, reaching for her soda.

"FOIL," Billy said.

Nuala nearly choked and glanced to her left. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"FOIL," Billy repeated. "You have to FOIL the equation to find the standard formed answer."

"And what is FOIL?" Nuala asked.

"Have you never done FOIL before?"

"Would I be asking if I did?"

Billy chuckled. "OK, fair enough," he said. "FOIL stands for **F**irst - Multiply the first term in each set of parentheses. **O**uter - Multiply the outer term in each set of parentheses. **I**nner - Multiply the inner term in each set of parentheses, and **L**ast - Multiply the last term in each set of parentheses."

"O...kay," Nuala said nodding but still unsure. "So, (x + 5) (x + 2) would be x + x = x^2."

Billy nodded. "Now multiply the outer terms," he said.

"x + 2 - 2x," Nuala said, muttering the equation as she jotted it down.

"Now the inner terms," Billy coached from the side, leaning in a little closer so he could see her notes.

"-5 + x = -5x."

"And finally the last term," Billy said, pointing at the final piece of the equation. "-5 + 2 = -10."

Nuala jotted it down, and then consulted her suggestions again. "That answers not on here," she said, pointing the suggestions out to Billy.

"The answer is A," Billy said. He picked up a discarded pencil and a clean sheet of plain paper. "Look here," he said, scribbling out the equation. "x^2 + 2x - 5x -10, so the answer is: x^2 -3x -10. Do you get it now?" He looked up at Nuala, to see her staring at him with a blank look on her face.

Billy smiled and patted her hand. "Don't worry," he assured her. "It takes a while to sink in. Why don't we try something else? What else are you struggling with?"

"I still have my History paper to write," Nuala replied.

"What's your topic choice?"

"The Revolutionary War," Nuala replied. "I am half way through, but my other assignments are getting in the way."

"Let's see if we can get these equations out of the way," Billy said. "Maybe then you can finish your essay, and not be working all over school break."

Nuala smiled and nodded. "Hey, did you know it's been a year since we became Rangers?" she asked, lowering her voice so anyone who may have been listening in, wouldn't hear.

"Mhm," Billy nodded. "A whole year since you came to Angel Grove, too."

"Yup. I can't believe I've been a mother for two years already," Nuala said, glancing over the edge of the table at Ellis. He was sound asleep in his pushchair, cuddling his tiger toy.

Billy watched as Nuala removed the empty bottle from the pushchair and put it back in Ellis' baby bag. "You heard from Tommy?" he asked, drawing her attention back to him. Out of each of the Rangers, Billy knew that it was better to ask Nuala or Kim about the former green Ranger.

Nuala shook her head. "Not since last week," she said. "I saw him before he left for his uncle's cabins, but otherwise I haven't heard a peep. You asked Kim?"

"She hasn't heard from him either," Billy said.

"Do you think he's alright?"

"I'm sure he'd call if he wasn't," Billy said. "He probably needs time to come to terms with losing his powers, you know?"

Nuala nodded. "Do you ever wonder what that would be like," she said. "Having to give up your powers. I mean, I know there's been a few times where I've considered it, but at least if I had agreed to go through with the whole thing it would've been _my_ choice. Tommy having to give his powers is like me having to give up figure-skating, you know? It's not something we wanted, but something we had to do."

"Yeah. I can't imagine what that must be like," Billy said.

"Do you think he'll come back this time?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well, the last time he lost his powers he came back, right?" Nuala asked. Billy nodded. "Do you think there's a chance he can come back again?"

"I don't know," Billy said. "Zordon was pretty sure when he said that there was nothing he could do for Tommy. I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

Nuala sighed and looked out over the juice bar. "I hope so," she murmured, spotting Jason, Zack and Ciaran practicing near the doors. Jason, who was usually on top form, seemed to be lacking badly today. Nuala could only guess that it was because of Tommy.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

At least an hour into studying, Nuala was getting bored and her attention had started to drift, something that Billy had picked up on as he tried to explain inequalities in Maths to her.

"Nuala? Nuala!" Billy called, snapping his fingers in front of her face.

Nuala jumped, blinked and turned to face the blue Ranger. "Oh, sorry, Billy," she apologised.

"Are you sure you're OK?" Billy asked.

"Yeah. It happens all the time," Nuala said, offhandedly. "I've never been able to keep my focus on Maths for more than a couple of minutes."

Billy frowned, looking concerned. "How long has this been going on?" he asked, closing the mathematics book and leaning forward on the table.

Nuala shrugged. "For as long as I can remember," she replied. "I've never enjoyed Maths, never understood it."

"Did you ever tell a teacher?"

"No," Nuala said, shaking her head. "Even if I did, what could they do? It's not like they can simplify Maths any more than they already are, can you?"

"I don't know," Billy said. "Maybe. Have you told your Mum?"

Nuala nodded. "Yeah. She doesn't understand it either," she said. "My dad was really good at Maths and so is Ciaran, my mum's not brilliant at it, but she's not as bad as me either."

"What about your grandparents?"

"They can hold their own," Nuala said. "They have too. They run a horse sanctuary and everything, Maths is a pretty big part of the business. I never really had anything to do with the business side, I just gave lessons, rode the horses, and stuff."

"Sounds fun."

"It is," Nuala said, smiling.

"So, it's not only figure-skating you were good at," Billy said, referring to what she had told Kim last week. "You're a good horse rider and a teacher."

Nuala looked sheepish. "Yeah, I guess I never thought of it like that," she said.

"Thought of what like how?" Ciaran asked as he and Zack joined Nuala and Billy. "Even now, a year on, he's sleeping," he added peering into Ellis' pushchair.

Zack and Billy frowned.

Nuala giggled. "A year ago today, when we arrived in Angel Grove, Ciaran was complaining that all Ellis ever did was sleep," she explained. "Basically he is trying to point out that he is exactly like his uncle."

"Ye - hey!" Ciaran exclaimed, before slapping his hand over his mouth as Ellis shifted in his sleep. "I do not sleep all of the time."

"The only reason you're here now is because I dragged you out of bed this morning," Nuala defended.

Ciaran huffed, folded his arms and looked away from his sister. "So my bed likes me," he said. "You're just jealous."

"Yeah, course I am," Nuala said, smiling. She turned her attention to Zack and motioned to the training area. "How's Jason?" she asked.

"I'm actually really worried about him," Zack admitted. "He's taking this situation with Tommy really hard."

"Maybe he needs to see Tommy," Ciaran said. "You know, talk to him about this whole thing."

"I can't be the only person Tommy saw before he left, am I?" Nuala asked.

"Well, I didn't see him," Zack said.

"Me either," Billy agreed.

"What about Kim?"

Ciaran shrugged. "Don't look at me," he said, taking a large gulp of his sister's soda.

"Did he say where he was going?" Zack asked.

"Up to his uncle's cabins by the lake," Nuala replied. "Honestly, I don't even think he _is_ up there. I've called several times and left a dozen messages, but no one has got back to me. It's like I told Billy, if he is up there, he'd at least call to let us know he's all right."

Zack nodded. "Well, I'm going to grab the girl's," he said. "Maybe we can head up there and check it out? He may need time to wrap his head around all this, but Jason needs someone to talk too."

"Where is Jason?" Billy asked.

"He's gone to clear his head," Zack said. "He can't concentrate without seeing Tommy everywhere."

"You want me to stay here and try and talk to him?" Nuala asked.

"Your choice," Zack said. "What about you, Billy?"

"I'll think I'll stay here," Billy said. "If that's OK with you."

"Sure. No problem," Zack said, nodding. "How about it, little man?" he asked, turning to Ciaran. "You want to come for a ride?"

Ciaran looked to his sister and beamed. "Can I?" he asked.

"Sure," Nuala sighed. "But you listen to Zack."

Ciaran saluted and took off with the black Ranger in search of Kim and Trini.

"What's wrong?" Billy asked, noticing the uncomfortable look on Nuala's face as her brother disappeared.

"I just have a bad feeling," Nuala replied.

"He'll be fine."

"I know," Nuala said. "But I still have a bad feeling."

Billy shook his head and started to pack away Nuala's books, stashing them in her backpack. "Come on," he said. "Let's go find Jason."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Ciaran glanced around the area as Zack took a soft right onto another lane. There wasn't another car in sight, save for the yellow taxi behind them, and there hadn't been one since they left the highway nearly ten miles ago.

"What's the matter, Ci?" Zack asked, glancing at the fourteen-year-old beside him.

"I think we're being followed," Ciaran said, turning in his seat to see the taxi behind them.

"It's Bulk and Skull," Kim whined, managing to catch a sight of the two in the taxi. "What are they doing out here?"

"Following us, by the looks of it," Trini said.

"Why would they want to follow us?" Ciaran asked. "Don't they have Power Rangers to find?"

Zack chuckled and reached across to ruffle Ciaran's hair. "We'll pull over," he said. "If they are following us, once we stop, they'll stop and then we can ask them."

Ciaran, Kim and Trini nodded as Zack pulled over onto the shoulder. The four of them climbed out and leaned against the side of the car just as the taxi stopped a few feet away.

"See, I told you they were following us," Ciaran said.

"Let's go find out why," Zack said, pushing off of the driver's side door and walking towards the Taxi. He was no less that mid-way to the cab when Goldar appeared on the green behind him.

Kim screamed and Zack spun around to face the Monkey General.

"What do you want, Goldar?" Zack asked, retracing his steps to where the others stood. "Ciaran, get in the car."

Ciaran nodded and dived back into the car, watching from the passenger's seat as the Rangers morphed and faced off against Goldar. From the rearview mirror, Ciaran could see Bulk and Skull watching the commotion, and hope wholeheartedly that they had not seen Zack and the girls' morph.

"Where are the others, power pups?" Goldar asked, referring to Nuala and Billy.

"We'll never tell you," Trini shouted. "What do you want?"

"Today will mark the final end of the Power Rangers," Goldar laughed.

"Yeah, right, Goldar, give it your best shot," Zack said. "We're ready for you."

"Prepare to suffer the same fate as the green Ranger," Goldar said, thrusting his staff at the team of three as they rushed to stop him. Flames burst out of the tip, engulfed Zack, Trini and Kim and caused them to disappear.

"NO!" Ciaran yelled.

Goldar laughed coldly and departed.

Sitting, dumbstruck, and staring at the place where his friends had once stood, Ciaran slowly lifted his communicator and used it to contact Billy and Nuala. If he could get to them before Goldar did, then maybe they would've stood a better chance than Zack, Kim and Trini had.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

After the effects of the teleportation had worn off, Kim looked around to find that she, Zack and Trini had been transported to Zedd's dark dimension. A place where Tommy had been brought when the green candle had been draining his powers.

"Let us out of here, Goldar," Kim yelled, banging the gates of the cage that contained her and her friends. "You're not going to get away with this."

"That's where you are wrong, pink Ranger," Goldar said. "Because I already have. Once I capture the blue and silver Rangers, the first part of my plan will be complete."

"Billy and Nuala will be ready for you by now," Zack said. "You're not the smartest of Zedd's villains, Goldar, you left behind a witness. Ciaran's still out there, he'll warn Nuala."

"I'd like to see him try," Goldar laughed. "Don't worry, power punks, you'll see your friends sooner than you may think." He disappeared again, leaving the three trapped rangers alone.

Trini sighed and looked to her friends. "Guys, this is bad," she said.

"We have to have faith that Ciaran warned Nuala," Kim said.

"What if Goldar got him too?" Trini asked.

Zack shook his head. "We can't think like that," he said. "Besides, we were the targets, not Ciaran. He'll be fine... I hope."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Nuala and Billy had made it as far as the park. They were still searching for Jason, having had no clue as to where he would've run off too. Their conversation about Nuala's lack of understanding in Maths had continued, convincing Nuala that she might have needed professional help in figuring out the problem.

"You should talk to your Mum again," Billy said. "Maybe she could make an appointment for you to see your doctor or something."

"But do you really think they can help me understand Maths?" Nuala asked. "I mean, this problem is something that has been going on for years."

"From what you've told me," said Billy, "you haven't really looked for help to the problem. Maybe now that you're actually looking into it, they'll be able to help you."

Nuala shrugged half-heartedly. "Probably," she said. "I'll talk to Mum tonight, and see what she suggests. Maybe if there is a problem and there is a way to fix it, I won't have to drop out of mainstream education."

"Exactly."

Nuala smiled and looked around the park for any sign of Jason. She loved spending one-on-one quality time with Billy, but she couldn't help but shake the bad feeling that had occurred inside since the juice bar. Surely Zack and the others had reached Tommy's uncle's cabins by now. They had been there before, so getting lost shouldn't have been an issue.

"Bad feeling again?" Billy asked.

"Yeah," Nuala said, glancing at her communicator. "I know we're only supposed to use them in emergencies and not as a GPS, but I am really worried. I just need to know that Ciaran's OK."

Billy considered her and then nodded. "Sure. I don't see why not," he said.

"Thanks, Billy," Nuala said, pushing herself up onto her toes and kissing his cheek. She lowered herself back down and turned away, missing the light blush that spread across Billy's face, and raised her communicator to her lips. She was just about to open a connection between herself and Ciaran, when her brother's voice exploded from the device, nearly deafening her.

"_Nuala! Come in, Nuala!_"

Nuala covered the communicator in hopes of muffling her brother's voice and looked around. She had drawn a few looks from the people who had been quietly playing or relaxing around her, but a sheepish and apologetic smile caused them to turn away. "Geeze, Ci, you nearly blew my ear out!" she said, uncovering her communicator.

"_I'm sorry, but this is an emergency._"

"Ci, stop shouting and calm down."

"_I can't! You're in trouble._"

Nuala and Billy frowned as they exchanged looks.

"Trouble?" Billy repeated. "What do you mean?"

"_Goldar's coming for you,_" Ciaran said.

"How do you know?" Nuala asked, as Billy looked around for any sign of the monkey general.

"_He already took the others,_" Ciaran said. "_He appeared out of nowhere, captured them, and took off again. Before he left he wanted to know where you and Billy were, but the others wouldn't tell him. Nuala, wherever you are, you have to get out. Get out now!_"

Scared by the urgency in her brother's voice, Nuala froze in place. Her heart and mind was working overtime. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and her mind kept throwing out images of her brother being stuck in the middle of nowhere without anyone.

"Where are you?" Nuala asked, finally able to find her voice.

"_Never mind me. You have to get to someplace safe._"

"Where are you?" Nuala repeated. This time more forcibly.

"_I'll go to the command centre,_" Ciaran said. "_Meet me there, alright?_"

Nuala nodded. "OK," she said. The line cut off and Nuala could only assume it was by her brother teleporting out. She turned to face Billy, only to stop short as she realised he was no longer there. "Billy?" she asked, looking around, fear rising evermore in her chest.

Sinister laugher caught her attention, and Nuala spun around to find Goldar standing behind her. Screams of panic and fear filled the air as many citizens fled the scene, but Nuala found she couldn't move. Not only that but she had Ellis with her in his pushchair; she couldn't - _wouldn't_ - leave him.

"It's your turn, silver Ranger," Goldar said, pointing his sword at her.

Panic-stricken, Nuala raised her communicator to lips and quickly contacted Zordon. "Alpha, teleport Ellis to the command -" she cut off as a flicker of flames hit her, and her vision blurred. She felt a tug on her right hand to which she clenched tightly, but it was no use.

The first thing Nuala noticed when she appeared in Goldar's dark dimension was that Ellis' pushchair was nowhere to be found.

"Oh no," Nuala whispered, hoping beyond hope that Alpha had heard her cries and teleported her son to safety.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

From the minute he had arrived in the dark dimension, Billy had worried about Nuala. He had tried to warn her about Goldar being in the immediate vicinity when he had disappeared, but his cries had fallen on deaf ears; Nuala had been far more concerned with her brother's safety than she had been about the surrounding area.

But no sooner did he materialize beside the others, did Nuala appear behind him. She was looking scared and nervous, and Billy could tell why. When they were at the park they had Ellis with them, but now Ellis was nowhere to be found.

"I'm sure he fine," Billy said, trying to assure Nuala, but the fear in her eyes overrode any reassurance.

"Alpha, I called him -"

"Alpha is always on call," Billy said, "and if Ciaran is at the command centre, he'd be on the lookout for us, plus Jason is still out there."

"But what if -?"

"Nuala, he's fine," Kim said.

"Billy's right," Trini said, walking over. "Right now we need to focus on getting ourselves out of here."

Nuala snapped her attention to the yellow Ranger. "Why are we in the dark dimension anyway?" she asked.

"You're here because Lord Zedd wants you here," Goldar said from the other side of the bars. The Rangers turned to see him standing just out of arm's length, a sinister smirk on his face. "Your ranger days are over."

"No way, Goldar!" Zack shouted.

Goldar laughed and held up a small almost-burnt out candle. "This sliver of green wax is all that remains of your green friend's powers," he said. "Funny that its final act is to light the flame that will strip you of your powers, and just like the green Ranger your time as Power Rangers will burn to nothing."

"Aren't you forgetting something, Goldar?" Nuala asked. "Jason's still out there. He'll help us."

"Yes, just like he helped your green Ranger friend," Goldar taunted.

Nuala shook her head and turned her back on the bars. She had enough to worry about with Ciaran and Ellis, without adding Jason and Tommy to her plate too. "How fast do you think these candles work?" she asked Billy, as he wandered over to try and comfort her.

"I'm guessing fast," Billy said. "Probably faster in a morphed state."

"Good thing for us," Nuala said, glancing at Trini, Kim and Zack. "Bad thing for them."

"Jason will find us. You know he will. Don't lose hope."

Nuala sighed and sank into Billy's embrace. She needed to have faith that her brother and son were OK, just like she needed to have faith that Jason was doing everything within his power to find her and the others.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Alpha worked feverishly to establish a connection with Nuala. After receiving a frantic call from, which had been cut off, he had traced her last co-ordinates to the park and found Ellis alone in his pushchair, immediately he had teleported the baby to the command centre and was followed closely by Ciaran.

"What is going on?" Ciaran asked, unclipping his nephew from the pushchair and cuddling him. "Zordon, did you find the others?"

"No, Ciaran, you must tell us everything that happened," Zordon said.

Ciaran sighed and started to explain the situation. He explained how Goldar appeared out of nowhere, attacked Zack, Kim and Trini, causing them to disappear. He explained about Goldar's threat to find Billy and Nuala before disappearing himself. "I called Nuala soon after, to explain the situation, but I don't know what happened next," he said.

"Your sister was captured by Goldar, just like the other Rangers," Zordon said.

"What about Jason?"

"Jason is safe," Alpha said.

"Alpha, teleport him here immediately," Zordon ordered.

Alpha nodded and quickly located Jason. There was a split second before the red Ranger appeared in the middle of the command centre.

"What's going on?" Jason asked, looking around. He spotted Ciaran and Ellis, but no Nuala, and knew straight away that something was wrong. Nuala never left her brother and son at the command centre unless there was an attack in the city.

"The others have been captured by Goldar," Zordon said.

"Where's he taken them?"

"Most likely one of Lord Zedd's hidden dimensions," Zordon explained. "Alpha is in the process of conducting a sector scan now."

"All locations occupied by the Power Rangers during the last twenty-four hours will appear on the viewing globe," Alpha said.

Jason and Ciaran turned to the sphere. It showed: The Archer family home, the park, and the out-of-the-way country side that Ciaran, Zack, Kim and Trini had been traveling when they had gone in search of Tommy.

"We wanted you to win the Golden Pipe Karate trophy," Ciaran said, addressing Jason. "But we also knew that you were worried about Tommy. Zack, Kim, Trini and I went to find him, whilst Nuala and Billy stayed behind to look for you."

"That trophy means nothing without the others here to share it," Jason said, squeezing Ciaran's shoulder. "Alpha, you have to locate them."

"I'm trying, Jason, I'm trying," Alpha said, frantically.

Ciaran sighed and turned away from the viewing globe. He walked back to the pushchair, set Ellis back inside and rummaged around inside his baby bag for something to entertain him. It seemed that searching for Nuala and the others was going to take a lot longer than expected.

Suddenly the alarms started to blare, causing everyone within the command centre to jump and Ellis to let out a startled cry.

"What else could go wrong?" Alpha sighed, checking the computers.

"Lord Zedd has sent his new pipe brain monster to attack Angel Grove," Zordon explained. "He is very swift and powerful. Jason, you must stop him."

"But, Zordon, I'll need my friends," Jason said, nervously.

"Jason, I finally found them!" Alpha said, excitedly.

"You did?" Ciaran asked, rushing over. "Where?"

"They're being held prisoner in Lord Zedd's dimension of doom," Zordon said. "Goldar is about to take advantage of the one weakness of the power team."

Ciaran turned to see Goldar in the viewing globe. He was standing in front of five coloured candles, all of which had been lit. "Are they -?" he asked, unable to get his words out.

"Yes, Ciaran," Zordon said. "As soon as the candles melt the Rangers will lose their powers forever."

"We have to save them!" Ciaran yelled, looking up at Zordon. "How do we save them?"

"Jason, you are their only hope," Zordon said. "But first you must control your anger. This is exactly the reaction Lord Zedd wants. You must not allow him to gain the upper hand."

Ciaran bit his lower lip and turned to face Jason. He could see the anger written on the red Ranger's face, but couldn't bring himself to feel anger at Lord Zedd, only fear for his sister and her friends.

"Red Ranger, come, stand before me," Zordon beckoned. "Jason, a true leader is always faced with tough decisions. He must control his emotions and act based on who has the greatest need."

"Jason, you made the right decision when you left Tommy's candle," Alpha said, touching the red Ranger's forearm.

"When they were captured, Billy and Nuala were coming to find you so that Nuala could talk to you," Ciaran said. "She was the last person Tommy saw before he left Angel Grove. He wanted her to know that he didn't blame anyone for what has happened, and he wants you all to be safe."

Jason sighed and shook his head. "He should blame me," he said. "If I had gotten his candle."

"Nothing could've changed the outcome," Ciaran said. "Jase, the others needed you back then, just like they need you now."

"You must be ready to make another tough decision," Zordon said. "If you enter Zedd's dimension your powers could also be lost."

"If it saves my friends," Jason said, clenching his hands into fists. "Then it is a risk I am willing to take."

"You have made a fine leader, red Ranger, only by defeating the pipe brain monster will you gain access to the ultra-dimension and your fellow Rangers."

Jason nodded and turned back to Ciaran. He put his hand on the fourteen-year-old's shoulder and knelt before him. "I'll bring your sister home," he said. "I promise."

"I'll hold you too that," Ciaran said. "Good luck."

Jason nodded once and straightened up. He turned his back on Ciaran and reached behind him for his morpher. "It's morphin' time - Tyrannosaurus."

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Fully morphed and ready for action, Jason teleported to the park to face off against the Pipe Brain monster. He found his target near the lake, a few feet short of where Billy and Nuala had been when they had disappeared.

"Not so fast!" Jason shouted, flipping into view. It wasn't long until the monster was joined by a small army of Putties, but the clay brains did nothing to deter Jason from his task. He had to stop the monster in order to help his friends.

"You disappoint me, red Ranger," the monster said, as Jason hesitated in fighting the putties. "I thought you'd be tougher. Finish him, Putties."

A putty to the left bounced forward and lunged at Jason. The red Ranger deflected it by punching it in the chest, right on the Z emblem on its chest. It glowed white before exploding. After that the putties went down like dominoes.

Sensing something behind him, Jason turned to see the pipe brain monster fired several golden tentacles at him. He dived aside to avoid being hit and was immediately caught by two putties, both of whom held him in place for another putty to kick him in the chest.

Jason rolled backwards and got back to his feet. He held up his fists and punched his way through the putty arm, knocking them down like flies. Reaching the middle of the putties, Jason planted a kick into an oncoming putty, before kicking behind him as another one tried to sneak up on him.

While the putties were being defeated, Pipe Brain grew taller than most buildings in Angel Grove, and towered over Jason. He roared and fired his tentacles at the red Ranger from high above.

"Tyrannosaurus-Red-Dragon-Thunderzord power!" Jason called, summoning his Zord.

Pipe Brain roared in anger as the red dragon weaved its way through the air, spraying him with jets of hot flames and brushing against him with his hard spikes and claws. Sparks flew from all over the monster's body, knocking him off of his feet.

"Alpha, is there any chance that you can send the sprite Zord?" Jason asked. Since Nuala's new Zord combined with the dragon to form part of the robot's body, Jason knew he would need it in order to destroy Pipe Brain.

"_I can try,_" Alpha said. "_But without Nuala... it won't last long._"

"If the sprite is anything like Nuala, she'll find a way to stay," Jason said,

"_Sending Sprite Zord,_" Alpha said.

There was a small flicker of silver and Jason looked up to see the silver sprite fluttering around the dragon. He initiated the conversion and joined with the small fairy-like creature to create the robotic human Megazord. It looked nothing without its armour, but Jason would need to make do just this once.

"Think you're a big shot, huh?" the Pipe Brain monster asked. "Well, you'll learn that I'm the top trophy around here, and now I'm going to show you why." He run forward and aimed a kick at the Megazords head, Jason deflected the attack by swatting the foot away and aiming a punch at the monster instead.

The monster jumped back and then lunged forward, ducking under the Megazords arm but not missing the series of punches it received as it straightened back up. He groaned numerous times, before flying backwards as the Megazord kicked him in the stomach.

"Oy! Got me!" the monster said, as his eye closed and he lay still.

Unsure what to make of the situation, Jason kept his defensive walls up, but that didn't mean he wasn't taken by surprise when one of the monster's tentacles wrapped around him. He ordered the Megazord to catch it, before it could wrap around him too tightly, and tried to tug himself free.

Pipe Brain monster laughed and jumped up and down, pulling his tentacle and trying to trip the red Ranger. "Take that!" he said, slamming his hand down onto the tentacle and shooting 100w's of power through the arm at the Megazord. "I got you!" he shouted happily as the Megazord landed on its knees. "I got you!"

"That's enough," Jason said, summoning the power staff. He twisted it through the air and brought it down on top of the tentacle, slicing it in half. Pipe Brain cried out in agony and fell backwards, rolling in the dust.

Free of the monster's hold, Jason stormed forward and smashed the staff into the monster's side, flipping him over. Pipe Brain got unsteadily to his feet just as Jason stabbed one end of the staff into the ground, and used it to hold his weight as he jumped up and kicked the monster backwards.

Holding the staff above his head, the hand of the Robot started to turn quickly, like a turbine, and the staff spun madly out of control. Jason pulled the arm of the Megazord down, holding the spinning staff like a shield, and attacking the monster with flecks of energy particles. The Megazord pushed through the spiraling winds and slashed at the monster with the staff.

Pipe Brain hit the floor on his side and exploded.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Despite not being in their morphed states, both Billy and Nuala were starting to feel the effects of their candles burning out. It literally felt like _they_ were burning out. They could feel their powers inching away from them slowly, causing dizziness and slight feelings of nauseousness to overcome each individual ranger.

"I don't feel so good," Kim whined.

"Hang in there, Kim," Nuala said, trying to reach out and comfort her friend. She felt too weak to even lift her arm.

"In a few moments the Power Rangers will be history," Goldar laughed, "and the world will belong to Lord Zedd."

"It's not over yet, Goldar," Nuala said, glaring up at the monkey general. "Jason still has time."

"Just accept defeat already, silver Ranger," Goldar said. "The red Ranger cannot save you now."

A flicker of movement caught Nuala's eye, and she looked behind Goldar to see Jason appear in the dark dimension. She felt her breath catch in her throat, but her hope at being saved soared like an eagle.

"Think again, Goldar!" Jason shouted.

"You're here!" Goldar said, surprised as he turned to face Jason. He blocked a punch from the red Ranger and kicked him in the stomach, knocking him back.

"Jason!" Nuala yelled, falling forward into the bars. She clung to them tightly as the pain she felt seemed to worsen.

Ignoring the silver Ranger, Goldar towered over Jason. "Now I'll finish you all!" he said.

"I won't let you hurt either of my friends!" Jason shouted, jumping to his feet. He pushed Goldar back towards the bars and prepared to fight him if necessary.

"You'll wish you never came here," Goldar said, storming towards Jason again. He swung his sword, but Jason jumped over it and rolled across the ground so that he was behind the monkey general.

Jumping up, Jason kicked Goldar in the back and knocked him into the candle stand, toppling it over onto the floor. The candles cracked but the flames continued to burn.

"Jason, the candles," Kim yelled. "Hurry!"

"You may once again have won the battle, red Ranger," Goldar said, picking up his sword as the room continued to burn. His job was done, the Rangers were history once the candle wax had melted. "But you'll never win the war."

He disappeared, his sinister laughter lingering before disappearing too.

"Jason, hurry!" Nuala called from the cell. She and her friends were quickly running out of time.

"Hold on, you guys," Jason said, running over to candle stand. He found the key buried beneath it, clearly Goldar hadn't thought of hiding it properly. "I got it," he said to the others. "I got the key."

"OK, now let us out," Kim said, leaning against the bars.

Jason quickly opened the cell doors and held out his hands once he had opened the gate. "Quickly. Give me your power coins," he told the others.

"Here," Billy said, reaching for his morpher and handing over the power coin inside. Nuala followed his example, and so did the others.

"Hang on, guys, I got an idea," Jason said, running back to the candles. He carefully lifted the stand up and placed each power coin on top of its respective coloured candle.

Nuala closed her eyes as the pain started to subside, her breathing was still ragged but at least the pain was going away. Soon it felt like nothing more than a dull, meaningless headache. Opening her eyes, Nuala looked around at the others and smiled lightly. "Everyone OK?" she asked.

"I will be, as soon as I get out of here," Kim said, carefully standing up. She still held tightly to the bars of the cell for support.

"I hear you," Trini agreed.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Zack asked, leading the way out of the cell door. Trini and Kim followed him as Billy held his hand out to Nuala. The silver Ranger took his and, supporting one another, they followed their friends to the break in the dimensions wall.

"Here," said Jason, holding up his hand. "Take your power coins." He handed each one their golden coin and watched as they passed through the dimension wall.

Nuala smiled as she took her coin.

"When you get back," Jason said. "Be sure to give Ciaran a hug. He's really worried."

"You'd think he was my older brother," Nuala said. "But I will. I was worried too."

Jason nodded once and motioned for Nuala to go first. The silver Ranger held out her hand to Jason. "Together," she said. "At least that way we'll know that both of us will make it."

"We'll make it," Jason said. "But together sounds good too."

"Ready?"

"On three."

"One..."

"... two..."

"Not so fast, red Ranger," Goldar said, grabbing Jason's ankle and pulling him back, away from Nuala.

"JASON!" Nuala yelled, whipping around.

Goldar laughed and tried to shove her through the dimension wall, but Jason caught his wrist and propelled him across the room, into the cage that had once held the other Rangers.

"Come on, jump!" Jason said, grabbing Nuala's hand and pulling her through the veil.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

Ciaran looked up as four separate colours of blue, yellow, pink and black, filled the command centre and out stepped his friends. He sighed in relief to see that they all looked relatively OK, but he couldn't help but be concerned as to where Nuala and Jason were.

"Where are Jason and Nuala?" Ciaran asked.

"They were right behind us," Billy said.

"You don't think something happened to them, do you?" Kim asked, worriedly.

"Zordon?" Ciaran asked, looking up at the giant floating head. "Where's my sister?"

"I'm not sure, Ciaran, the portal to Zedd's dimension is now closed," Zordon explained.

Ciaran felt his heart dropped down into his stomach. Closed. The word rattled back and forth in his head, taunting him to the fact that he may never see his sister again. "No," he whispered, shaking his head. "No! Jason promised me that he would bring Nuala back. He'd never break it."

"Jason knew the risks of going to the dark dimension," Zordon said. "To ensure your safety..."

"He would've made sure Nuala was out first," Ciaran said.

"Easy, tiger," Ciaran jumped and spun around to see Jason and his sister standing behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief and flew into her arms, hugging her for all he was worth. "Don't think for a second that you can get rid of me that easily."

"I thought I lost you," Ciaran said, his words muffled as he buried his face into his sister's stomach.

Nuala shook her head, but smile nonetheless. Once she had managed to worm her way out of her brother's grasp, Nuala scooped up her son who had crawled across the command centre to be near her. "At least now I know that both my boys are OK," she said, kissing Ellis' forehead and patting Ciaran's back as he continued to hug her tightly around the middle.

"Well done, Jason," Zordon said, praising the red Ranger. "Once again, you have proven yourself to be a formidable leader."

"Yeah, man, you were awesome," Zack said, patting his friend on the shoulder.

"Thanks, guys," Jason said, smiling.

**~*Raising the Stakes*~**

With the little escapade to the dark dimension behind them, the Rangers returned to Angel Grove to watch Jason compete in the Golden Pipe Karate tournament, but before that Nuala and Ciaran had to head home and check in with their mother, having been gone all day without so much as a phone call to let her know they were all right, Lana had been increasingly worried, but when her children burst into the house later that afternoon, the worry ebbed away.

"I know you're a Ranger, Nuala, and you have responsibilities to the city, but you could at least check in with me," Lana scolded. She picked up Ellis and hugged him tightly. She had missed him all morning.

"I know, Mum, I'm sorry," Nuala said. "But today we got a little tied up."

"Meaning?"

"I'll explain later," Nuala said. "We've only come to check in. Jason's competing in a few minutes, so we need to get back."

Lana rolled her eyes and nodded, handing her grandson back to his mother. "Oh, before you go," she called, following them out of the house. "This came while you were out." She handed Nuala a letter with her name on it, instantly the silver Ranger recognised the handwriting and a smile spread across her lips.

"Thanks, Mum," Nuala said, climbing into the car. Ciaran climbed into the passenger seat, after making sure that Ellis was properly locked into his car seat, although he knew Nuala was extra careful when it came to transporting her son around.

"Tell Jason I wish him good luck," Lana said.

"Why don't you come with us?" Ciaran asked.

Lana looked considerate and nodded. "OK. Let me just lock up," she said.

Nuala nodded and glanced at Ciaran. "In the back, squirt," she said, playfully pushing his head away.

"Nuh-huh, you get in the back," Ciaran said. "I call shotgun."

"I'm older than you."

"So?"

"It's house rules," Nuala said. "Oldest rides shotgun. Now, come on, shift, before Mum gets back."

Ciaran grumbled as he got out of the car, and slid into the back seat beside Ellis. The little boy babbled at the sight of his uncle and held up his tiger toy. "Your mum's a meanie," Ciaran said, teasingly. "But we love her, don't we?"

"Wuv, Mama," Ellis said.

Nuala smiled back at her baby. "Mama loves you too, tiger toes," she said, reaching behind to tickle him.

Once Lana was in the car, the four Archer's drove away from their house and across town to the juice bar where the tournament was being held. They met up with Jason and the others outside. The rest of the Rangers greeted Lana happily, and then led the way inside.

Nuala and Jason hung back.

"What's up?" Jason asked.

"This came for me while we were in Zedd's dimension," Nuala said, holding up the letter. "It's from Tommy. I wanted to know if you wanted to open it with me."

"Are you unable to open a letter alone?" Jason teased.

Nuala shot him a serious look.

"Sorry," Jason said. "Sure. Open it."

"OK," Nuala said, opening the envelope. She removed the letter from inside and unfolded them, revealing Tommy's handwriting to both herself and Jason to read through together.

"_Dear Nuala, I'm sending this to you because I know it will reach the others in time. I hope you're all OK, and rest assured, that I am too. I miss you guys a lot, but I need this time to get my head together. Jase, go win that gold pipe trophy for me, I know you can do it. You're a winner, you always have been. Look, I don't blame you for what happened, I never did. Just keep your head together, the others depend on you, especially Nuala, she's going to need someone to look out for her, and I know you're the best person for the job. We'll see each other again soon. Your friend, Tommy._"

"Friend?" Nuala asked. "I was sure he was going to put something like 'Love, Tommy'."

Jason shook his head and took the letter from Nuala. He read through it again, and then handed it back. "How about we go do what he wants us too?"

"Oh yeah, and what's that?"

"Win the tournament."

Nuala grinned and, looping her arm through his, allowed Jason to lead her into the youth centre. They stopped short, however, as Bulk and Skull stepped into their path.

"Hold it!" the two said, holding up their hands as well as a picture case.

"What are you guys up to now?" Nuala asked, refraining from rolling her eyes.

"One of these pictures proves, conclusively, that we were close to the Power Rangers," Bulk said, holding up the paper case.

Nuala sighed, tediously. "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah," Skull said, animatedly. "Like he said, close to the Power Rangers."

"Go on then," Jason encouraged. "Prove it."

"Oh we will," Skull said, opening the case and pulling out several pictures. He started to check through them, smiling at each shot he had taken on the ride out of the city.

"It's the last one, bonehead," Bulk said, taking the pictures from his friend. He pulled the last picture from the pile and held up out for Jason and Nuala to see.

The red and silver Rangers exchanged looks, and Nuala giggled into her hand. "Nice nature shot, boys," she said, leading Jason around Bulk and Skull and into the centre.

"What was that about?" Kim asked, referring to Bulk and Skull.

"Their million-dollar picture of the Power Rangers," Jason said.

"Let's just say that they shouldn't consider photography as a career," Nuala said.

Kim chuckled as the announcer called for the next contestant.

"_Jason Lee Scott._"

"Come on, Jase," Nuala, Kim and Trini encouraged from the sidelines as Jason took his place on the mat. He bowed to the judges, and then to the rest of the contestants, before following through with his routine. It lasted no longer than five minutes, and when he was finished he bowed again as his friends cheered for him.

"_And with that outstanding performance, our judges have decided to present this year's Golden Pipe Trophy to Jason Lee Scott._"

The Rangers applauded their friend as he was presented the trophy, and Zack and Billy hoisted him up onto his shoulders. Nuala grinned as Jason caught her eye, and patted the pocket within which she held Tommy's letter.

"This one's for you, Tommy, wherever you are!" Jason called out, holding the trophy above his head.

* * *

><p><strong>Copyrighted ©<strong>

**Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx**

**Chapter updated 20th March 2015 at 11:00pm  
><strong>


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